Mercury

When these four pale skinned video game junkies manage to pull themselves away from the bluish glow of their television screen, it's only to provide the music for their own personal science fiction soundtrack, a soundtrack known to the rest of the universe as the San Francisco Bay Area based band, Mercury. A soundtrack on course into the darkest corner of synth-rock stratosphere. Yet, a soundtrack guaranteed to provide the listener with a floating device, upon a dense, lush, and spacey atmosphere.

This atmosphere is provided mostly by the beautiful-eerie mood channeled through a dual synthesizer unit by its operator, Josh Myers. The sound is enhanced dynamically by electric guitar player and vocalist, Jon Bower. Who carries enough gloom and conviction in his voice, that when combined with his cold, disenchanted lyrics it may convince everyone in the room that ground control may never find its Major Tom!

Mercury's skilled and original approach to this musical genre actually comes as no surprise to me seeing as Bower has been paying his dues for over a decade. In the late 1980's through the early 1990's he led the East Bay punk rock band Scherzo, releasing both a seven inch EP, and a full length album on the Berkeley based Lookout! Records. He then founded the short fused Bay Area hardcore band, John Henry West, whose 1993 seven inch on gravity can leave the listener both assaulted and satisfied. Then, even before the latter's demise, he started the more melancholy, almost arty combo known as Araby, which released a seven inch on the small Red Dawg label. All before undergoing major line up changes and later evolving into Mercury.

Unlike the majority of spaced out, synthesizer heavy groups, Mercury do not leave you floating in a sea of sonic sound waves. There is a firm anchor in the noisy but solid rhythm section. Bass player Ali Wever, is also a former member of the previously mentioned Araby, and a long time collaborator of Bower on numerous other projects (Which sadly never made it into a recording studio). She can always be seen rocking out the hardest during the bands show. She can hypnotize an audience with her instruments low tones, just as easy as she can rattle the foundations with a nasty jagged rhythm. Andy "Android" Myers (bro to keyboard wizard, Josh) proves he was no flunky in the in the Fall/Joy Division/Wire school of drum technique. Multi-instrumentalist Myers earns himself extra points for his own brand of manic personality, which at times includes accompanying his brother with a one handed solo on his Moog, while not missing a beat on his drum kit. He's quite a spectacle to watch during his live performance.

Mercury prove to be a very tight unit live, and what rock group wouldn't be with two full length albums, and two US tours already under its belt. Mercury are currently promoting WINTER (Sign Language Records) the icy follow up to 1998's LEAVING AUTUMN (Self-Released). Both albums explore the same seasonal concept, but differ greatly in sound, showing the bands progression in just one short year. WINTER sees the band leave behind the heavier guitar work, and almost mathematical time changes found on LEAVING AUTUMN, resurfacing with a much broader dimensional sound by bringing the swirling synthesizers to the front of the mix. Mercury also started using the recording studio as a tool for experimentation using drum machines, percussion instruments, grand piano, various electronics, and most notably, the haunting viola which dominates the albums standout tracks.

WINTER has gained favorable reviews press with positive reviews in publications such as the BIG TAKEOVER, MANIFESTO, and the east bay weekly newspaper, THE EXPRESS. Not to mention many on-line 'zines. Mercury has gathered many comparisons during its two year existence. Some critics, myself included, have compared them with yesteryear's experiments by: Brian Eno, Hawkwind, Cabaret Voltaire, and Throbbing Gristle. While others bring up the more contemporary influence of bands like: Polvo, Three Mile Pilot, and Sonic Youth. Of course the members of Mercury would be the first to admit a fondness for some of the aforementioned artists. Having met the band, it's obvious that they not only draw inspiration from a vast and varied collection of music, but a huge collection of science fiction films as well. This collision of aural and visual stimulation is absorbed by the band members and transformed into the personal soundtrack I mentioned previously. So, is Mercury composing a score for a film? Are the Myers brothers working on its script? Mercury's most recently released song "Twelve", featured on the all instrumental compilation appropriately titled IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING (Sign Language Records) could easily be its theme or that of the next Star Trek mini-series or Star Wars episode.

By all means Mercury are not a Symphonic Rock overproduction. They belt out each tune like it may be the last time it's ever heard, which of course it won't be. Mercury perform at nightclubs, bars and other locations a few times each month. Playing with both local and touring bands, they have shared stages with many nationally known acts. Some notable names include: Tristeza, Pedro the Lion, Antarctica, The Gloria Record, The Rapture, and The Salem Lights. Mercury will be playing both here in the Bay Area, and on tour sometime in the near future in a galaxy far, far away. That is unless the latest Playstation game doesn't hit the market.