Mankind Is Obsolete
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Mankind Is Obsolete, (MKIO) is a female-fronted industrial rock band, based in Los Angeles, California.


History


Formation and ''Metamorph'' (2001-2004)

By 2001, Jon Siren had joined
Christopher Anton Christopher Anton, alternately styled christopher ANTON, (born July 21), is an American singer-songwriter. Anton is known for being the vocalist of the synthpop band Information Society, as well as the synth rock band Pseudocipher. In 2010, Anto ...
's synthpop band, Pseudocipher,Pseudo History, Pseudocipher, accessed 12/10/2009
/ref> while Natasha Cox and Gordon Bash were members of the group "Lotus Reign".Les Autres Mondes - Natasha Cox, accessed 12/10/2009
Later, Siren and Cox met at the
Musicians Institute Musicians Institute (MI) is a private for-profit music school in Los Angeles, California. MI students can earn Certificates and – with transfer of coursework taken at Los Angeles City College – Associate of Arts Degrees, as well as Bachelor ...
in Los Angeles and recognized that they had similar tastes in music after seeing each other wearing the same
Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute for women in the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. In 2019, the institute had about 6,200 Religious sister, sisters worldwide, organized into a number ...
t-shirts.Curcio, James "Mankind is Obsolete pt. 2", Alterati:The Inside Scoop on the Outside Culture, Sept. 25, 2007 Sawyer, Ron, "Mankind is Obsolete: Interview for Girls and Corpses Magazine (courtesy of Livid Looking Glass Magazine)", Girls & Corpses issue No. 9, July 200

/ref> The two played in a jazz band together and in 2002 Cox also joined Pseudocipher.Bios, Pseudocipher, accessed 12/10/2009
/ref> By the fall of 2002, Cox and Siren had formed Mankind is Obsolete.Jones, Mindy, "Miss Mindy's Music Reviews", Eagle Rock Boulevard Sentinel, Volume VIII, Issue 7, November 2004 With Cox on keyboards and Siren on drums, they began recording what would become their first EP, ''Metamorph'', without a singer before Natasha stepped up to the role of lead vocalist. Some of the recording was done at the school's facilities, some in Siren's apartment using Pro Tools, and some in Cox's apartment bedroom.Stark, Alison, "Artist Spotlight - Mankind is Obsolete", Regen Magazine, Dec. 9, 2007 By February 2003, a live band had been assembled adding Jamie Roy on bass, Mark Nurre on guitars and Nathan Trowbridge on keyboards and running the light show. Additional recording and mixing was done by Steven Seibold of
Hate Dept. Hate Dept. is an American Industrial rock, industrial/punk rock band, formed in 1991 by Steven Seibold. Seibold is a multi-instrumentalist who writes, records and releases Hate Dept. albums with minimal outside help. He formed Hate Dept. in 1991 ...
and
Pigface Pigface is an American industrial rock supergroup formed in 1990 by Martin Atkins and William Rieflin. History Pigface was formed from Ministry's ''The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste'' tour, which produced the '' In Case You Didn't Fee ...
, and ''Metamorph'' was released in August 2003. The songs of ''Metamorph'' range from "haunting" and "brooding" for much of the album to the faster-paced, more heavily electronic and more danceable 'Icarus'. The band toured throughout the west coast and southwest following this album and by late 2004, Roy had left the band.


''Rise'' (2004-2006)

Cox and Siren began working on songs for their first full-length album in 2004Stead, Chris, "Mankind is Obsolete", Gothic Angst Webzine, accessed Jan. 5, 2010 and in early 2005 brought in Bash as the new bassist. Bash also contributed to writing for that album and served as the producer for ''Rise'', with the band recording it in his home studio. For that album, the band tried to capture more of their live feel by combining live acoustic instruments with electronic and programmed ones. The album has been reviewed as realizing a "mature and lucid vision", which Siren describes as being about "rising above a lot of the battles we were having in our daily lives. It is about seeing the negativity as it is and finding the power within to move past it." Following the 2005 tours which included an East Coast foray to Goth Stock, Trowbridge left the band. Brian DiDomenico was brought on as the new keyboardist in late 2005, just in time to appear in the video for 'Still Right Here', released in February 2006.Rise, Mankind Is Obsolete, cdbaby, accessed Mar. 25, 2010
/ref> That year saw a full, nine-week, US/Canada tour supporting ''Rise''. The tour was characterized by performances of such physical intensity that on one occasion Natasha threw out her back on stage and needed emergency room attention following the show. This incarnation of the band saw the creative load spread across the band with all band members contributing to writing new songs 'Awake' (composed for photographer J. Corsentino) and 'Picking at the Scab', both of which would eventually appear on ''Trapped Inside''.


''Trapped Inside'' (2006-2008)

In the fall of 2006, Scott Landes of Collide and Babalon joined the band as a second guitarist, initiating the band's brief, six-member incarnation. In the spring of 2007, MKIO lost Nurre and Bash as the band prepared to record their third album with
Sylvia Massy Sylvia Lenore Massy is an American record producer, mixer, and engineer. Her first major breakthrough occurred with 1993's ''Undertow (Tool album), Undertow'', the full-length triple platinum-selling debut for Los Angeles alternative metal band ...
and Jim Wood producing at RadioStar Studios in Weed, California. Landes had previously worked with Massy as part of Collide. He assumed Nurre's guitar duties and they searched for a new bassist for what was shaping up to be a darker album. Joe D'Ambra joined as the new bassist for the ''Trapped Inside'' sessions and tour. This album was to involve more extensive contributions from all the band members than previous outings. The album was recorded in July and August 2007 and released that September. While some reviewers found the album to be their best work to date, with a very different sound than ''Rise'',Hunter II, Eric, "Mankind Is Obsolete - Trapped Inside", Alternative Explosion!, Jan. 30, 2008 others found it entertaining and satisfying, but neither surprising nor progressing much beyond their previous efforts.Yücel, Ilker, "Reviews Mankind Is Obsolete Trapped Inside", Regen Magazine, Nov. 9, 200

/ref> A more typical reviewer found the album both a mature and experimental work that is "very rich" and "very organic", alternating between lush and hypnotic and aggressive and pounding.Eaton, Robert, "Mankind Is Obsolete - Trapped Inside", Grave Concerns Ezine, July 29, 2008 After ''Trapped Inside'' 's September release, MKIO embarked on a year-long U.S. tour. While prospects of supporting the album with a tour that long contributed to Nurre's and Bash's decisions to leave the band, Bash was able to return in March 2008 when D'Ambra decided to leave. D'Ambra parted amicably after eight months with the band, including six months of heavy touring.Johnson, Matthew, "Mankind Is Obsolete Announces Remix Contest, New Bassist", Regen Magazine, March 4, 200

/ref> A few months later, near the end of the tour, DiDomenico also parted ways with the band. As the tour wound down in August, they played the Warped Tour.


Outside endeavors

Following the ''Rise'' tours, band members have occasionally performed with other bands. DiDomenico and Siren formed the live band for
Dismantled Dismantled (born Gary Zon) is an electronic music artist from the United States. History Dismantled is the product of an experiment that began in late 2000 by Gary Zon, who was attempting to create something similar to Front Line Assembly's ...
in its European appearances surrounding the 2007
Wave-Gotik-Treffen The (WGT; German for "Wave Gothic Meeting") is an annual world festival for "dark" music and "dark culture" in Leipzig, Germany. 150+ bands and artists from various backgrounds (gothic rock, Electronic body music, EBM, Industrial music, indust ...
van der Ende, Edwin, "Pride and Fall - Amstelveen 2007", Reflections of Darkness - A Dark Music Webzine, June 13, 200

/ref> and Siren continues to drum for them live. Cox contributed to the Ikonoklast album ''The Dawn'' in 2007. After the ''Trapped Inside'' tour, Landes and Siren joined
Kidneythieves Kidneythieves is an American industrial rock duo from Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1997 by vocalist Free Dominguez and guitarist/engineer Bruce Somers, and throughout their existence have worked with a revolving door of session m ...
as part of their live band. In 2009 Siren became the drummer of
Psyclon Nine Psyclon Nine is an American band formed in 2000 in San Francisco, CA, known for their unique blend of electronic, industrial metal. Originally, Psyclon Nine's music was Terror EBM with melancholic atmospheres and black metal style vocals. How ...
for the recording of ''
We the Fallen ''We the Fallen'' is the fourth studio album by American band Psyclon Nine. The album was released on September 8, 2009, through Metropolis Records. This is the first album released by Psyclon Nine with new members Vlixx and Jon Siren. The co ...
'' and its associated tour. Siren occasionally drums for his former Pseudocipher bandmate, Christopher Anton's solo project, and also drums with System Syn. Bash is also part of the jazz band "Magnolia Memoir" as well as heads his own eponymous band. Bash, Cox, and Landes debuted the indie/alternative band "Alice" in early 2010. Following their tour with
Android Lust Android Lust is the solo project of Shikhee D’iordna, that combines elements of rock, electropop, electro-industrial and classical styles into a blend of music that she describes as "electronic and dark." History Shikhee D’iordna was born i ...
in 2010, Landes began playing guitars with that band.Android Lust - Bio
As of 2011, Cox and Siren have appeared as part of the live band for Adam Moore's indie industrial band, InureWard, J., "News: Inure hard at work on new material", COMA Music Magazine, April 13, 2011 and Cox joined Siren for System Syn's appearance at the 2011
Kinetik Festival ''Kinetik'' is the second and final album by industrial metal band Omega Lithium. It was released on 27 May 2011. Track listing Personnel *Mya Mortensen – vocals *Malice Rime Malice may refer to: Law * Malice (law), a legal term descri ...
.


''Möbius Loop'' (2010- )

Work on songs for what would become ''Möbius Loop'' began soon after the tour supporting the remix album ''Manic Recession'' in the fall of 2010, with Siren and Landes starting with the instrumentals. Cox's work on lyrics and vocals followed and a version of "Crosshairs" made appearances in live performances in 2011. During the album's preproduction, in 2012, they also were named Virtual Music Ambassadors to Iran, and in June 2012 traveled without Siren to Algeria also under the aegis of a U.S. embassy program, for a ten-day workshop with Algerian bands culminating in a battle of the bands performance. By the end of the summer of 2012, the album appeared to be halfway done. 2013 saw some additional shows as tracks were laid down for much of the rest of the album. The album itself was released May 29, 2014 with additional production work and synth tracks by Christopher Jon of Android Lust.


Discography


Albums

* ''Metamorph'' (EP) (2003) * ''Rise'' (2005) * ''Trapped Inside'' (2007) * ''Möbius Loop'' (2014)


Remix albums

* ''Manic Recession'' (2010)


Compilation appearances

* ''Livid Looking Glass Compilation No. 1'' (
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
, Livid Looking Glass) - "She" * ''Fxxk The Mainstream Vol. 1 Box Set'' (
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
,
Alfa Matrix Alfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases musical styles including aggrotech, industrial music, dark elektro, synthpop, and electronica. Based in Brussels, the label consists of label and artists manager Séba ...
) - "Still Right Here" * ''Let There Be Life'' (
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
, Live Laugh Love) - "In This Ocean" * ''Pale Blue Dot'' (
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
, Synthellec Music) - "Picking at the Scab (Live Mix by Sylvia Massy)"


Soundtrack appearances

* ''At Midnight'' (short)(2008) - "Angel Disease"At Midnight (2008) - IMDb
/ref> * ''The Virgin Murders'' (2008) - "She""The Virgin Murders (2008) - PolyStaffle
* ''Promise'' (2009) - "Prayer", "Troubled Dreams", "Fading"
/ref> * ''Super Undead Doctor Roach'' (short) (2009) - "She", "Lies"Super Undead Doctor Roach (2009) - Soundtracks
/ref> * ''Amber Lake'' (2010) * ''Ratline'' (2011) - "Angel Disease", "Passing Through"Ratline (2011)- Soundtracks
/ref> * ''Paranoia'' (2012)


Timeline

ImageSize = width:800 height:330 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:60 top:0 right:50 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:2002 till:01/01/2015 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Colors = id:Vocal value:red legend:Vocals id:Guitar1 value:green legend:Guitar id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass id:Keyboards value:purple legend:Keyboards id:Drums value:orange legend:Drums id:Albums value:black legend:Albums Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:2 start:2002 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:2002 LineData = at:09/02/2003 color:black layer:back at:07/06/2005 color:black layer:back at:08/09/2007 color:black layer:back at:08/10/2010 color:black layer:back at:05/29/2014 color:black layer:back BarData = bar:LVNC1 text:"Natasha Cox" bar:LGMN1 text:"Mark Nurre" bar:LGSL1 text:"Scott Landes" bar:BGJR1 text:"Jamie Roy" bar:BGJA1 text:"Gordon Bash" bar:BGJD1 text:"Joe D’Ambra" bar:KBNT1 text:"Nathan Trowbridge" bar:KBBD1 text:"Brian DiDomenico" bar:PDJS1 text:"Jon Siren" PlotData = width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:LVNC1 from:01/01/2002 till:01/01/2015 color:Vocal bar:PDJS1 from:01/01/2002 till:01/01/2015 color:Drums bar:LGSL1 from:01/01/2006 till:01/01/2015 color:Guitar1 bar:BGJA1 from:01/01/2005 till:05/15/2007 color:Bass bar:BGJA1 from:03/01/2008 till:01/01/2015 color:Bass bar:LGMN1 from:02/01/2003 till:05/15/2007 color:Guitar1 bar:BGJR1 from:02/01/2003 till:12/01/2004 color:Bass bar:KBNT1 from:02/01/2003 till:11/01/2005 color:Keyboards bar:KBBD1 from:12/01/2005 till:06/15/2008 color:Keyboards bar:BGJD1 from:06/01/2007 till:03/01/2008 color:Bass


References


External links

* http://www.mkio.com {{Authority control Alternative rock groups from California Musical groups established in 2002 American industrial rock musical groups Musical quartets from California 2002 establishments in California