Blabbermouth
Sep. 2, 2008
SPYLACOPA — the new studio project featuring John LaMacchia (CANDIRIA), Jeff Caxide (ISIS), Greg Puciato (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN) and Julie Christmas (MADE OUT OF BABIES, BATTLE OF MICE) — has posted the song "Bloodletting" at this location. The track is featured on the band's debut five-song EP, due out this November on Rising Pulse Records. Commented Lamacchia: "The song 'Bloodletting' was originally written by Greg Puciato. When I heard the demo of the song I was blown away by the chorus. There were all these vocal layers of just screams that sounded like dying banshees. It was an inspiring new step forward for SPYLACOPA because before this the music we were writing for the project was based mostly on experimental ideas and sounds and a more unorthodox style of writing. When we passed it off to Julie, she just took the song to a whole new level with her eerie lyrics and disturbing vocal melodies. Jeff also played a great part in taking the song to new heights adding these incredible bass layers and textures. After that the whole thing just kind of came together in the mix by the man behind the curtain, Michael Barile (mastering/engineering). He did this thing in the bridge with one of Jeff's bass performances. Jeff was playing the part and theres a note that rings out and as he's recording the part he's reaching over to Jeff's bass and slowly down tuning the low bass string. It's just perfect for the part... he tunes it so low it just slowly disappears into the mix..." The band, which LaMacchia formed to explore experimental and hypnotic compositions while playing guitar in rock/jazz/crossover band CANDIRIA, has been working on the EP since 2006. LaMacchia states: "These are some of the best musicians I've ever worked with and the music on this EP speaks volumes of their talent. Fans will definitely be pleased." Blabbermouth

Hard Times
November 13, 2008
SPYLACOPA -- the new studio project featuring John LaMacchia (Candiria), Jeff Caxide (Isis), Greg Puciato (The Dillinger Escape Plan) and Julie Christmas (Made Out of Babies / Battle of Mice) -- have posted a "Making of the EP" video online.
You can watch the video - which includes behind the scene footage of Puciato in the studio doing vocal tracks -- by visiting the band's official SpylacopaTV Channel on Youtube.com or clicking here:
....
BIO:
Fueled aggression, experimental precision, and driving infectious hooks are just some of the parts comprising the whole that is Spylacopa – a musical venture spearheaded by Candiria lead guitarist and songwriter John LaMacchia. The band can be described as painters of a vast audio landscape, putting listeners on a constant musical journey. And while Spylacopa often changes gears, and is far from pedestrian – it is very feel-oriented.
Formed by LaMacchia in 2000... For more check out Hard times

Spreading Like Wings
September 25, 2008

Spylacopa is a band that consists of members of such underground heavy hitters like; Candiria, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Made Out Of Babies and ISIS what you get when these musicians join forces is a new animal. Spylacopa sounds like a progressive emo band. That’s right I said it a progressive emo band. If you can imagine a more emotional melodic Page Hamilton backed by a progressive modern rock band then you’d get a pretty good idea. Spylacopa like you might expect have fantastic chops but they don’t show off they pull off a great contemporary sounding album. The first two tracks “Haunting A Ghost” and “Bloodletting” are fantastic if we get more explosive stuff like these two tracks then lord help us all. I want to hear a complete album right now.
Review by Pivotal Rage Lite.
Spreading like wings

Metal Review
11/25/2008
Michael Roberts
For those not in the know, Spylacopa is something of a post-metal supergroup consisting of Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan), John LaMacchia (Candiria), Jeff Caxide (Isis/Red Sparowes), and Julie Christmas (Made Out of Babies/Battle of Mice). As you might expect, you can hear bits and pieces from each members’ respective day job in this band. It’s a little difficult to pinpoint their sound at this stage, simply because each track on this EP is either significantly or drastically different from the one before it. What’s not in doubt though is that the music on Spylacopa is written and performed to the high standard you’d expect from a band of this pedigree, and despite how up-and-down it is stylistically, it’s plenty enjoyable.
Barring the graceful piano piece “Together We Become Forever,” there are four songs proper on Spylacopa. The first, “Haunting a Ghost,” is a pulsing, abrasive rocker with Greg Puciato switching between his familiar holler and melodic singing, while Julie Christmas gets more of a look in during the disturbing lurch of “Bloodletting.” The later half of this release is more interesting. “Staring At the Sound” is a strangely funky art-rock number featuring a smooth Puciato croon over a lumbering groove that isn’t unlike some of the more commercial moments on DEP’s Ire Works. Final song “I Should Have Known You Would” is the real anomaly though. Recalling some of Red Sparowes at their mellowest, it’s a laidback, acoustic-led number complete with prog-rock flourishes. The songwriting is very smooth and it’s an enjoyable track in itself though it does throw you a little given the EP’s hard-edged beginnings.
So with five very different but tasty little morsels, Spylacopa is quite the appetizer. While I’m not completely blown away at this stage, the quality and professionalism of this release can’t be denied and it certainly leaves me hanging for more, if only to find out which of the various directions displayed here the band chooses to go in. While hardly what you would call extreme, Spycalopa are an uncompromising and intense outfit consistent with the adventurous, forward-thinking spirit its various members are known for.
Metal review

Mind Inversion
October 22, 2008
Spylacopa ’s new song rocks hard (and a future Candiria album?
Spylacopa began as an obscure ambient-electronic side-project for Brooklyn-based Candiria guitarist John LaMaccia, but after accruing a band of notables – namely Greg Puciato of Dillinger Escape Plan, Jeff Caxide of Isis, and Julie Christmas of Made Out of Babies – the project was bound to gain momentum. Judging by the sounds of the new song “Haunting A Ghost” that was posted to the band’s MySpace earlier this week, Spylacopa has evolved into an entirely different beast all together. While LaMaccia proved to have a knack for combining head-pounding beats with ambient soundscapes on Spylacopa’s earlier output, this song is far more rocking and metal-friendly than anything I’ve heard from them so far. LaMaccia’s distorted guitar progressions and electronic sequencing seems to have matched perfectly with the lush mix of Puciato’s own touches and his trademark vocal approach – the high contrast of soaring melodies and screaming and bellowing – and the thick layer of groove from Caxide. The forthcoming debut self-titled EP (available November 18th) has already garnered high praise from Terrorizer Magazine, and Puciato seems to like it well enough… but don’t just listen to us! Listen to “Haunting a Ghost” for yourself online here.
In related news, John has finallly made an update regarding Candiria and LaMaccia also revealed more about the 4 volume (!) series of remix/interpretations 12" LP’s entitled Toying With The Insanities that will be released on his label, Rising Pulse Records. The release is said to feature contributions from members of Suicidal Tendencies, Dillinger Escape Plan, Dysrhythmia, Dub Trio, Kayo Dot, Dälek, and more. However, this great collection will only be released as a limited edition available on vinyl (with free mp3 download with purchase) with only 250 of each volume pressed!
More intriguing perhaps is that LaMaccia implied that there will be new Candiria recording in the future, saying that the band is “moving forward” and was “back on track”. After news last year, that Candiria wasn’t allowed to release their last album through Type A records since they couldn’t tour, many people were unsure if we’d ever hear from them again. I’m looking forward to hopefully getting my hands on this remix collection, and now I’ve got hope for more Candiria in the future. Stay tuned here.
Mind Inversion

Metal Injection
October 22nd, 2008
SPYLACOPA began as an obscure ambient-electronic side-project for Brooklyn-based CANDIRIA guitarist John LaMaccia, but after accruing a band of notables - namely Greg Puciato of DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, Jeff Caxide of ISIS, and Julie Christmas of MADE OUT OF BABIES - the project was bound to gain momentum.


Judging by the sounds of the new song "Haunting A Ghost" that was posted to the band's MySpace earlier this week, SPYLACOPA has evolved into an entirely different beast all together. While LaMaccia proved to have a knack for combining head-pounding beats with ambient soundscapes on SPYLACOPA's earlier output, this song is far more rocking and metal-friendly than anything I've heard from them so far. LaMaccia's distorted guitar progressions and electronic sequencing seems to have matched perfectly with the lush mix of Puciato's own touches and his trademark vocal approach - the high contrast of soaring melodies and screaming and bellowing - and the thick layer of groove from Caxide. Their forthcoming debut self-titled EP (available November 18th) has already garnered high praise from Terrorizer Magazine, and Puciato seems to like it well enough… but don't just listen to us! Listen to "Haunting a Ghost"yourself online here.
In related news, LaMaccia has finallly made an update regarding CANDIRIA and has revealed more about their forthcoming Toying With The Insanities 4 volume series of remix/interpretations 12" LP's that will be released on his label, Rising Pulse Records. The release is said to feature contributions from members of SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, DYSRHYTHMIA, DUB TRIO, KAYO DOT, DÄLEK, and more...
For more check out Metal Injection.

Metal Sucks
October 23rd, 2008
Vince Neilstein
A couple of months back I published an article declaring that Spylacopa, the new supergroup featuring John LaMacchia (Candiria), Jeff Caxide (Isis), Greg Puciato (The Dillinger Escape Plan) and Julie Christmas (Made Out of Babies / Battle of Mice), was sounding surprisingly tame for a band whose members usually spit such intense venom. Now I eat my words.
The ambient drones of “Out West” have now been replaced by the fury of “Haunting a Ghost” on Spylacopa’s MySpace page, and the results are much more in line with what you’d expect from such a group of shit-kickers. In short, the new song is fucking awesome and more or less exactly what you’d expect and hope for from this cast of characters.
Spylacopa’s self-titled EP drops November 18th on LaMacchia’s Rising Pulse Records.
-VN
Metal Sucks

Ixmati Media
Press release:[Oct 22, 2008 / SPYLACOPA]
Track by track synopsis of SPYLACOPA's debut EP from DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN frontman; New mp3 posted online THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN's frontman Greg Puciato, and member of new studio project SPYLACOPA (which also features Candiria's John LaMacchia, Isis' Jeff Caxide and Made Out of Babies/Battle of Mice's Julie Christmas), has posted an online synopsis of each of the songs found on SPYLACOPA's self-titled debut EP being released this November on RISING PULSE RECORDS.
You can now hear the new song "Haunting A Ghost" by visiting the band's official MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/Spylacopa
The full tracklisting:
1. "Haunting A Ghost"
2. "Bloodletting"
3. "Together We Become Forever"
4. "Staring At The Sound"
5. "I Should Have Known You Would"

For the rest of this press release visit Ixmati Media

Metal Underground
September 2, 2008
Spylacopa Announces Release Date For Debut EP
While no well-versed metalhead would ever consider the ambient sounds of SPYLACOPA to be "metal" by any stretch of the imagination, there are good reasons why news of a debut release from a band that unites members from so many noteworthy metal bands to be of importance. Although this slowly developing project has been Brooklyn-based former CANDIRIA guitarist John LaMaccia's baby since the band disbanded few years ago, the project has accumulated a cast of cohorts over the course of its life that have turned it into a kind of supergroup of sorts. As of now, SPYLACOPA consists of LaMaccia, Greg Puciato of DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, Julie Christmas of MADE OUT OF BABIES and BATTLE FOR MICE, Jeff Caxide of ISIS, (and formerly Chris Hornbrook of POISON THE WELL). Their debut EP will be independently released on November 4 in an extremely limited pressing.
In SPYLACOPA, LaMaccia and friends are delving even further into the atmospheric and decidedly "non-metal" aspects that makes their respective bands so unique within their sphere of music. SPYLACOPA approaches electronic music from a much different point-of-view than is typical for the genre, and as such they layer their songs with a brooding intensity that is not very different structurally from the heavier sounds of their other bands. Although SPYLACOPA has much more in common with artists such as MASSIVE ATTACK or LUSTMORD than the likes of DEP, ISIS, MADE OUT OF BABIES, or CANDIRIA, there is a different kind of rage and a chaos subliminally present within the music that makes it a great listen for even a casual fan of these musicians. Either way, it's an interesting experiment that might give you a better perspective of what is inspiring the artists in all these bands right now. If you're interested in hearing more, check out the band at their MySpace page. Metal Underground

About.com
November 20, 2008



Spylacopa was started by Candiria’s John LaMacchia. The band’s current members also include Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan), Julie Christmas (Made Out Of Babies) and Jeff Caxide (Isis). Their self-titled debut EP is being released on the band’s own label. LaMacchia fills us in on the band’s formation, the new EP, if we’ll see them out on tour, the status of his other band Candiria and some other subjects.
Chad Bowar: How did the current lineup of the band come together?
John LaMacchia: Spylacopa started out as a solo project. I was going to put out music on my own. Then, in the end of 2004 I spoke with Greg Puciato at a Dillinger Escape Plan show and he asked what I was up to musically. I told him about Spylacopa and he expressed interest in contributing some music and some vocals. Shortly after, Jeff Caxide of Isis happened to be moving to Queens. He also expressed interest in working on the project as well and me and Jeff started fleshing out some rough ideas at my place in Brooklyn. Up until recently it was pretty much the three of us.
Then, in 2006 Isis was on tour with Tool. Jeff was kind enough to invite me to a few of the shows and at one of them I happened to sit next to Julie Christmas. At the time I’d only heard of Made Out Of Babies, but after listening to Made Out Of Babies and Battle Of Mice I knew that I wanted to work with her. So I reached out and asked her to be part of what we were doing and after some consideration she agreed.
To read the complete Spylacopa Interview go to Heavy Metal About

Metal Minute
Thursday, January 22, 2009
CD Review:
Spylacopa - s/t EP
2008 Rising Pulse Records
Ray Van Horn, Jr.
Intellects attract other intellects, particularly in music. It's sometimes hard to fathom a merge between Thom Yorke, Beck and PJ Harvey despite the sheer thrill factor of such a proposition. However, if you're really in-tune with what's happening in today's metal underground, reading a roster of momentarily extradited artists such as Greg Puciato of Dillinger Escape Plan, Jeff Caxide of Isis, Julie Christmas of Made Out of Babies and Battle of Mice, plus Candiria's John LaMacchia, proves more than relevant.
Granted, there's a teeming number of side projects cropping up every month (the Isis guys alone have so many external groups and solo pieces it's easy to lose count), yet it's hard to ignore the chance to hear Greg Puciato and Julie Christmas rail and croon amidst a slinky, drop-tuned metallic groove on Spylacopa's "Bloodletting" from their self-titled debut EP. The payoff between these two yelping vocalists is its own reward, much less the pounding rhythms and furiously tugging guitars on "Bloodletting" and its preceding track "Haunting a Ghost." For more check out Metal Minute

The Gauntlet
Band Members
John LaMacchia
Jeff Caxide
Greg Puciato
Julie Christmas

Subgenres:
experimental
Fueled aggression, experimental precision, and driving infectious hooks are just some of the parts comprising the whole that is Spylacopa – a musical venture spearheaded by Candiria lead guitarist and songwriter John LaMacchia. The band can be described as painters of a vast audio landscape, putting listeners on a constant musical journey. And while Spylacopa often changes gears, and is far from pedestrian – it is very feel-oriented.
Formed by LaMacchia in 2000, Spylacopa was simply intended to be a conduit for his experimental and hypnotic compositions. But that soon snowballed into something more significant. The first Spylacopa release, “Collective Unconscious,” appeared on Candiria’s C.O.M.A. Imprint in 2002. And some years later, in 2005, with the addition of The Dillinger Escape Plan’s Greg Puciato and Jeff Caxide of Isis, another Spylacopa single, “The Duke,” was released on Undreradar Records.... Visit The Gauntlet for more.

Lateral Noise and Sea of Tranquility
January 12, 2009
Artist: Spylacopa
Album: Spylacopa
Label: Rising Pulse Records
Year: 2008

Tracklist:
01. Haunting A Ghost
02. Bloodletting
03. Together We Become Forever
04. Staring at the Sound
05. I Should Have Known You Would
Download pass: lateralnoise.blogspot.com
What do you get when you combine one part The Dillinger Escape Plan (Greg Puciato), one part Candiria (John LaMacchia), one part Isis (Jeff Caxide) and one part Made Out of Babies/Battle of Mice (Julie Christmas)? Well, you have the supergroup project called Spylacopa, who are now releasing their self-titled debut EP on Rising Pulse Records. Not quite metal, not quite post-rock, but certainly something along the lines of avant-garde flavored rock, Spylacopia certainly mix it up here on this 5-song EP. Puciato's tortured screams and wailings work well alongside the gentle vocals of Christmas on the manic opener "Haunting A Ghost", LaMacchia's textured guitar work providing plenty of the fireworks for this otherwise varied opening cut. More of the same can be heard on the raucous "Bloodletting", giving way to melodic piano on the gentle "Together We Become Forever". They come back with raging yet funky extreme metal on "Staring At the Sound", a ripping number with crunch riffs, pounding drum work, and lots of effective vocals from Puciato, in what is no doubt the song that shows the most promise for this ensemble on this EP. The closer "I Should Have Known You Would" takes an almost Pink Floyd meets Isis approach to atmospheric & ambient rock, dreamy vocals meshing with Dave Gilmour inspired guitar work and plenty of dark overtones.
As strong as this is, it just seems like the tip of the iceberg. We obviously know of the pedigree of these folks, so now that we have a taste of what they can do, let's hope next time around they can give us a full blast of the potential that's shown here.-by Pete Pardo
Lateral Noise and Sea of Tranquility

Metal Edge Mag
SPYLACOPA (BADASS SUPER GROUP): NEW SONG POSTED

SPYLACOPA POSTS NEW SONG
If you read the banner above, you know almost as much about Spylacopa as we do. The most important thing to know is that this is a project worth getting excited about. They have a new song up on their MySpace and it’s very, very good. Click HERE to listen to “Bloodletting.”

Spylacopa features:
John LaMacchia (Candiria)
Jeff Caxide (Isis)
Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan)
Julie Christmas (Made Out Of Babies)
Four very talented individuals. Apparently they’ve been writing and recording off-and-on for a couple years and have enough material for a full-length, but they’re gonna tease us with an EP first. Whatever. I’m pumped.
In the meantime, check out our feature on Julie Christmas and Made Out Of Babies in the current issue of METAL EDGE, in stores now. And as always, you broke/lazy bastards can read every issue of METAL EDGE in its entirety, FOR FREE, right here at MetalEdgeMag.com.

Sputnik Music
Spylacopa began as an obscure ambient-electronic side-project for Brooklyn-based Candiria guitarist John LaMaccia, but after accruing a band of notables - namely Greg Puciato of Dillinger Escape Plan, Jeff Caxide of Isis, and Julie Christmas of Made Out of Babies - the project was bound to gain momentum. Judging by the sounds of the new song “Haunting A Ghost” that was posted to the band’s MySpace earlier this week, Spylacopa has evolved into an entirely different beast all together. While LaMaccia proved to have a knack for combining head-pounding beats with ambient soundscapes on Spylacopa’s earlier output, this song is far more rocking and metal-friendly than anything I’ve heard from them so far. LaMaccia’s distorted guitar progressions and electronic sequencing seems to have matched perfectly with the lush mix of Puciato’s own touches and his trademark vocal approach - the high contrast of soaring melodies and screaming and bellowing - and the thick layer of groove from Caxide.
Sputnik

Decibel
Spylacopa

Mubla htgnel-lluf a rof tiaw ew, llitS | Rising Pulse
Legend always had it that John LaMacchia was the experimental element of Candiria’s sound. He wasn’t so much the resident jazz head (although, when he first joined the band, his stage name was “Be-Bop”) as he was the dude who kept pushing for the genre-hopping band to explore more esoteric territories that didn’t involve mind-cramping time signatures, inhuman polyrhythms and hip-hop. He reportedly...
To read the entire article, purchase this issue from our online store at Decibel

Metal Edge

Rising Pulse
Spylacopa is that rare supergroup that lives up to its members’ pedigrees. Masterminded by Candiria guitarist John LaMacchia, Spylacopa grew to include Dillinger Escape Plan singer Greg Puciato, and later, Isis bassist Jeff Caxide and Made Out of Babies singer Julie Christmas. Its five-song debut EP never sounds like any of those individuals’ bands. Instead, we’re treated to the raging post-hardcore of “Haunting a Ghost” and the dark, moody rock of “Bloodletting,” two songs with lush, memorable choruses; an elegiac, piano and synth instrumental situated perfectly at the midpoint, “Together We Become Forever”; “Staring At the Sound,” an up-tempo rocker that recalls Jane’s Addiction at its most aggressive; and finally, heady psychedelics on “I Should Have Known You Would.” LaMacchia’s consistent production keeps this from ever feeling patchwork, remarkable considering the sonic variety and the disjointed nature of the writing and recording process. At 23 minutes, this would feel like a tease if it wasn’t so complete – and I’m still dying to hear more.
—Brendan Twist from Metal Edge

Cruncher Magazine
by Morgan Y. Evans
LINKS:
myspace.com/spylacopa
Since the news broke in the not so distant past that Brooklyn, NY’s Spylacopa, once the chillingly contemplative ambient and experimental solo project of Candiria’s guitar whiz John LaMacchia, would expand to include members of The Dillinger Escape Plan, Made Out of Babies and Isis, speculation has been rampant as to what the heck the group’s debut self titled EP on Lammachia’s own Rising Pulse Records would sound like. Certainly all of the above mentioned bands have a huge mischievous streak for defying expectations. The fact that long after the news broke the Spylacopa official MySpace page still had mellower, older instrumental tracks that just added to people’s curiosity. Some publications even jumped the gun and assumed the whole future of the group would sound eerie and quiet, somewhat silly under the circumstances.
Spylacopa is a healthy growing baby, a fiercely creative swirl of ideas. More than just a shot in the arm, this EP grabs and holds on in a way reminiscent of Dillinger's own Under The Running board release, short, sweet and leaving you wanting more. It’s a very nice and overdue return to the scene for founder LaMacchia, one of the most exciting mad scientists in underground rock. Having fantastically capable and witty vocalists on board like the Dillinger Escape Plan’s Greg Puciato and Made Out Of Babies/Battle Of Mice’s banshee Julie Christmas in the mix as well adds up to a recipe for…well, anything. The possibilities are endless...
To see the rest of the interview check out Crucher Magazine

Spread Like Wings
Spylacopa was formed by John LaMacchia in 2000, and was "simply inteded to be a conduit for his experimental and hypnotic compositions." The first Spylacopa release, "Collective Unconscious," appeared on Candiria's C.O.M.A. Imprint in 2002. A few years later in 2005, with the addition of The Dillinger Escape Plan's Greg Puciato and Jeff Caxide of Isis, another Spylacopa single, "The Duke," was released on Undreradar Records in a split with Young America. Releasing a few tracks spontaneously from that point onwards on their MySpace page, Spylacopa's forthcoming debut EP, which gets released on the 4th of November (a little under a month away from now, will be their first proper release.)
Featuring members of Candiria, Isis, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Battle of Mice, it seems like this EP is going to be quite a treat. Indeed, the first two reviews of the forthcoming EP so far have been extremely positive. In addition, the track "Blodletting", which will appear on the EP, now available in streaming from Spylacopa's MySpace page, and prominently featuring Julie Christmas and Greg Puciato together on vocals, promises that the EP is going to be something special.
I spoke with Greg Puciato about the forthcoming EP, and we discussed, amongst other things, his feelings on the finished product, the recording and studio process and the United States Postal Service. Read the interview at... spread like wings.

Heavy Blog
New SPYLACOPA Material On The Way
Supergroup SPYLACOPA will soon release three new tracks for an upcoming digital release.
From SPYLACOPA’s Myspace Blog:
Hello all, it has been a while since we have updated our site and our fans and friends.. just a quick heads up about what we got going on here in the next few weeks. We are going to release a digital download version or our Debut EP. This Digital bundle will include the following…
The Debut EP
3 bonus never before released tracks
exclusive photos of Spylacopa
exclusive images and original art concept images
wallpaper images for your desktop
We will keep you posted on the actual release date coming up in the next couple of weeks..
Stay tuned for this and more to come from Spylacopa. Thank you for reading.
For those of you who don’t know, Spylacopa is a metal group featuring John LaMacchia (Candiria), Jeff Caxide (Isis), Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan), and Julie Christmas (Made out of Babies). Their debut EP, Spylacopa was released late last year on Rising Pulse Records.
I’m excited to hear this new material. The EP was really good, but that’s what’s expected when you put a group of people like this together to make music.
http://www.myspace.com/spylacopa
-JR
Heavy blog is heavy

Excaim!
By Chris Ayers
Brooklyn’s Spycalopa started as a side-project for Candiria guitarist John LaMacchia between tours. The first single was included on Candiria’s 2002 double-disc set, The C.O.M.A. Imprint, and three years later, another single was recorded, with the addition of the Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist Greg Puciato and Isis bassist Jeff Caxide. In 2006, work began on this self-titled EP, after Made Out of Babies chanteuse Julie Christmas joined the all-star line-up. The result is an incredibly rich tapestry of textures, as LaMacchia explores diverse soundscapes not available to him in Candiria. “Haunting a Ghost” and “Staring at the Sound” maintain aggro levels equal to Candiria while spotlighting Puciato’s melodic vocal range. “Staring” also contains LaMacchia’s most soulful soloing, akin to the jazz rock styling of Vernon Reid. Christmas steps forward to duet with Puciato on the stellar “Bloodletting” and “Together We Became Forever” is a serene piano piece that morphs into incidental music from Blade Runner’s love scenes. Pink Floyd fans will swear that David Gilmour guests on “I Should Have Known You Would” but it’s LaMacchia who dips into Floyd’s fecundity for surreal bursts of muted lightning. Spylacopa offer one of the year’s most exciting debuts, as this five-song EP foreshadows what is yet to come from these passionate players.
Had you been working on Spylacopa material on your own before The C.O.M.A. Imprint took shape?
LaMacchia: Yes, for about a year or so. Ken Schalk of Candiria was kind enough to pass on some basic recording knowledge to me to get me started. It wasn’t until after 9-11, though, that I officially called all of that recording I was doing Spylacopa. From there, I continued writing songs, experimenting with moods and soundscapes, trance and break beats, writing electronic music, incorporating organic instrumentation, and so on as Spylacopa.
How does the songwriting differ from heavy track to ambient track?
We have no set idea how these songs are all going to work together. All of our music is approached with the same basic goal in mind: to create something musically satisfying. We feel the extreme dynamics in our music are what make the ride more enjoyable — the peaks and valleys, so to speak.
How easy is it working with Julie, Jeff, and Greg? Sounds like a match made in heaven!
A breeze. All fantastic musicians. I am very lucky to be working with such creative and talented people on this, and this is just the beginning. (Rising Pulse)
Exclaim!