Author & Punisher Posts “The Speaker is Systematically Blown” Live Video
By myself, in my car, tensely driving to go anywhere during plague-lockdown, this song, as high up as the volume goes. I won’t say much for the sound system of the Chevy Malibu doomboat I’ve been driving these last several turns, but “The Speaker is Systematically Blown” and the rest of Author & Punisher‘s 2018 album, Beastland (discussed here) were a big part of my soundtrack to the end of the world. Om were also on it. If I was better at “content providing,” I’d have made a playlist. Thankfully, the moment has passed. The association remains strong in my head with that particular time and setting, but also thankfully, the song remains badass four years after I was trying to pound myself into dust with it and six years after its initial release. Violent resonance.
As to what might’ve prompted Author & Punisher — founded by and largely comprised of vocalist/programmer/machinist Tristan Shone (sweaty hoodie above), with Ecstatic Vision‘s Doug Sabolick (rad sunglasses above) on guitar — to put up a video now for a song from six years ago when the band has released an album in between, which is 2022’s Krüller (review here), it’s a fair question, and Shone addresses it in the note that was sent along with the link to the clip in the Bandcamp update/social post/wherever I get these things who can remember. It’s the Author & Punisher track that has the most Spotify plays and the footage was there from when the song was new, again, in 2018. Maybe it took a while to put together — that shit happens, you know — or maybe they’ve had it in-pocket for a while, holding off for when there wasn’t a ton else going on. I have no clue. But the video shows Shone at work with the machine-triggers and righteous metallurgical whathaveyou of his own design, and the esteemed Frank Huang (who, thankfully, documented so much of life at the now-gone Saint Vitus Bar) had a hand in editing, and since I dig it anyway, I’m less inclined to question.
Ultimately, I failed to see Author & Punisher in the album cycle for Krüller, and that’s on me; there was no lack of opportunity. As I nonetheless look forward to the possibility of a new release next year — Shone has said elsewhere that material is in the works, though of course that’s nebulous — the chance to revisit “The Speaker is Systematically Blown” is appreciated, even if I show that appreciation by putting my headphones in and smashing my face into the wall. “Canyons of falling gods,” and all that.
Enjoy:
Author & Punisher, “The Speaker is Systematically Blown”
“The Speaker is Systematically Blown”
Video by Augie Arredondo from 2018 at Cold Waves Festival Los Angeles at 1720. Additional editing by Frank Huang at Relapse Records.
This one was an interesting show because the songs were brand new and it was a festival. Phil Sgrosso, Otto Valentine (rip❤️) and I drove up together and Augie met us there to shoot the performance for a music video but I think the audio from the board was poor quality so we used the album version. Somehow this video got lost in the shuffle and we never used it but I always thought the energy and shots were rad. I don’t play this song that much because it’s non stop vocals for 4 minutes in a range that is very strenuous on my voice. I love the track and it still gives me goose bumps when the toms come in midway through. Maybe we’ll try to add it as a regular for touring.
Coincidentally the most listens on Spotify over any other track ever. I think I wrote this song in an hour.
Author & Punisher, Krüller (2022)
Author & Punisher on Instagram
Tags: Author and Punisher, California, Relapse Records, San Diego
