Limbs Bin, Josh Landes’ one-man noisecore maelstrom, has altered Landes’ life in several ways, including physically.
His spasmodic, frenetic sonic explosions feature some of the loudest and harshest screams performed live or committed to tape, a practice that has taken its toll on his vocal cords.
“I usually walk away with a swollen throat and ringing ears,” says Landes. “Limbs Bin has changed the sound of my voice permanently, and I’m excited to see where it goes in the years to come.
“It’s a project that literally changes me.”
Landes begin playing bass in high school with Pittsfield hardcore band Splatterhouse. Prior to that, he says he failed to learn guitar despite years of lessons at local institution Wood Brothers Music.
He learned early on that, musically, he could do whatever he wanted, and do it himself. Landes says that when he was a kid, artist Atom and His Package made him realize that if he really wanted to be in a band, he could just do it solo, and create a project that could be as personal as he wanted it to be.
Heavy outfits like Siege, Napalm Death and Infest also influenced his formative musical years.
“Infest taught me that it’s totally possible to make your point as succinctly as possible if you deliver that blast with the most emotion you can muster,” Landes says.
He also cites the “destructive antics” of Japanese groups like Hanatarash and G.I.S.M. as inspiration for him to transform live shows into more atmospheric experiences, rather than a “dry recital of songs people already know.”
Limbs Bin tracks are created using a digital Japanese drum machine, the Zoom Rhythm Trak 323, and a Boss MD-2 Mega Distortion pedal through which Landes often runs his vocals. He says the sounds he incorporates are primitively repetitive drum samples treated with ample amounts of reverb and distortion, along with experiments with microphone feedback.
It’s the vocal tracks that are the most striking, particularly live.
“When I started, I had no technique and ended up a hoarse, sweaty, humiliated mess,” he says. “Over time—and the amplifiers and sound of a given venue tend to effect this pretty dramatically—I have found ways to sing in such a manner that I can speak the following day.
“When you do it enough, you can turn anything into a skill, and I’ve done that with screaming.”
Where does he find all the aggressive energy and emotion for such sustained intense vocal eruptions?
“Like most people, I have my share of fears, neuroses, peeves, and frustrations,” says Landes. “Honesty is the foundation for good art and music, and with Limbs Bin I have created a ritual I perform where I air those grievances, and I do it really thoroughly.
“I can only thank the paranoia and guilt that I work through every day for giving me the energy to want to yell it out of me.”
For songs and information on where to find Limbs Bin recordings and performances, visit http://limbsbin.com.
