Mistletone

Artwork by Carl Breitkreuz

ARIEL PINK’S HAUNTED GRAFFITI TOUR DATES:

SYDNEY: Friday March 2 @ Oxford Art Factory with special guests  Geneva Jacuzzi, Richard In Your Mind + Erik Omen. Tickets on sale now from Moshtix. Presented by Mistletone and The Thousands.

PLAYGROUND WEEKENDER: Saturday March 3 @ Del Rio Riverside Resort, Wisemans Ferry. Tickets on sale now.

MELBOURNE: Sunday March 4 @ Corner Hotel with special guests Geneva Jacuzzi, Lost Animal + Montero. Tickets on sale now from the venue. Presented by Mistletone, Triple R and The Thousands. 

BRISBANE: Thursday March 8 @ The Zoo with special guests Dune Rats + Magic Spells. Tickets on sale now from the venue. Presented by Mistletone, The Thousands and Happy End-ings.

MEREDITH, VICTORIA: Saturday March 10: Golden Plains Festival. SOLD OUT!

ADELAIDE: Sunday March 11 @ Adelaide Festival with special guest Geneva Jacuzzi. Tickets on sale now from BASS ONLINE or phone: 131 246.

Mistletone, Triple R & The Thousands proudly present the return of Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti’s return in 2012 for a gaggle of epic festival & club shows. LA’s little lost prince of experimental pop, lo-fidelity disco, and cassette tape wizardry, Ariel Pink has gone from being under the influence to influencing bedroom producers world-wide. Get ready for full length sets, glittery trousers, feather boas, and amazing times!

Underground cult figure turned international pop star, Ariel Pink’s sound is as sublime as it is surreal, loaded with hazy nostalgia and a fiercely experimental pop palette. Establishing himself as one of the most prolific songwriters and unique talents of his generation, Ariel Pink’s influence on today’s bands and genres has been profound.

And in super exciting news just to hand, LA synth-pop sorceress Geneva Jacuzzi is joining Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti’s Australian tour as the main support for the Sydney and Melbourne club shows, as well as a double bill at Adelaide Festival.

Geneva Jacuzzi (born Geneva Garvin) is a musician and visual artist known for her unique style of synth driven bedroom pop recordings, theatrical stage personas and retro style video art. Her lyrics describe blood being thrown onto fire, clown-like machines in search of sadness, and the raging monologues of future/past elemental beings. Her live shows are unlike anything you will ever experience, referencing commedia dell’arte, Cocteau, Artaud, Schlemmer, dada, kabuki, French surrealism and Italian futurism.

Every Geneva Jacuzzi song is a starkly expressionistic mini-drama that with plots allowing her to find a new way into those places between art, music and theatre. Jacuzzi is a long-time collaborator with Ariel Pink — the most talked about act at Laneway 2011, the author of Pitchfork’s #1 jam last year (Round and Round), and one of the most influential artists of our time.

Don’t miss LA’s reigning prince and princess of lo-fidelity disco, experimental pop and mythical drama when their formidable powers collide!

A few words about Mistletone’s history with Ariel, whom we consider our spiritual leader…

Mistletone’s first ever release was House Arrest by Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti (MIST001, 2006), and our first ever tour was Ariel with an Australian backing band in 2006. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti since signed to 4AD and their amazing album Before Today was locally released through Remote Control. We are thrilled to bring Ariel and the band, together with Geneva Jacuzzi, back to our sunny shores in 2012.

Ariel Pink was raised in the Pico-Robertson area of Los Angeles, attending Beverly Hills High School and later the California Institute of the Arts. In high school, Ariel was a fan of such Gothic rock acts as Christian Death, Bauhaus, The Sisters of Mercy, and The Cure (whom he cites as his favorite band). He started writing songs “around age 10″ and has recorded over 500 songs on hundreds of cassette tapes since 1996.

Ariel produces and plays almost all of his own music, and is noted for creating drum sounds using primarily his mouth, and sometimes his armpits. His home recording technique gives his music a very lo-fi sound, to the point where new listeners may mistake the era of his music. Ariel’s influences range from R. Stevie Moore–friend, mentor, and “father of home recording” —to Michael Jackson. Aside from his music, Ariel creates and sells semi-abstract and surreal grotesque drawings which can be viewed at his unofficial website.

From 2000–2002, Ariel collaborated with fellow Los Angeles recording artist coL, which resulted in each being featured on one another’s albums. In the summer of 2003, Ariel passed a CD-R on to Animal Collective after being introduced by mutual friend and occasional collaborator Jimi Hey (All Night Radio, Indian Jewelry, Beachwood Sparks, The Rapture) at one of their shows. Unbeknownst to Pink, Animal Collective had recently started their own record label, Paw Tracks. Animal Collective member Josh Dibb remembers: “It sat on the floor of the van for a week or so…  Finally we played it and we were just like ‘Woah!’. Brian was, like, ‘I’m making it my goal in life to put this kid’s record out on our label’.“

Several weeks later they contacted him to sign him on Paw Tracks. Ariel became the first musician on the label aside from the members of Animal Collective. The next year, the label reissued The Doldrums, an album which had been originally recorded in 1999. Since then, Paw Tracks (now co-owned by Carpark Records) has released two other reissues of Pink’s previous recordings, Worn Copy and House Arrest (Mistletone’s first ever release).

Ariel gradually caught the attention of media sources around the United States as well as internationally. As most of his albums are self-made, many of them have never been heard by fans. Almost all of Pink’s albums which have been commercially released come from his recently released Haunted Graffiti series and are thus the best known. In 2006, Pink’s collaboration with Holy Shit front-man Matt Fishbeck led to the release of Stranded at Two Harbors.

After initially playing shows with pre-recorded music, Ariel later employed the efforts of Gary War, Robert Robinson (Sore Eros), Tim Koh (White Magic), and John Maus while touring. In 2008, Ariel formed a new band with keyboardist/ guitarist/ backing vocalist Kenny Gilmore, drummer/ vocalist/ guitarist Jimi Hey, and guitarist Cole M. Greif-Neill (Ethnik Klensr, The Samps, Nite Jewel), who became known as Haunted Graffiti. Drummer Aaron Sperske (Beachwood Sparks, Lilys) has since replaced Jimi Hey, and guitarist Joseph Kennedy has replaced Greif-Neill. Consistent touring with a fixed band lineup has led to a much more accessible and musically tighter show for concert goers.

Haunted Graffiti toured with Chairlift, Cryptacize and Vivian Girls, followed by a performance at Coachella. In November 2009, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti was signed to 4AD records. Their first single “Round and Round” in March 2010 marked a studio quality departure from his former lo-fi recordings. A new album, Before Today, followed in June 2010.

Before Today was recognized by Pitchfork in their “Best New Music” category. The album includes some new versions of songs released on previous records, notably “L’Estat (acc. to the widow’s maid)”, “Round and Round” (formerly titled “Frontman/Hold On (I’m Calling)”) and “Beverly Kills”. In December 2010, Pitchfork named “Round and Round” the number 1 song on their list of The Top 100 Tracks of 2010. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti were chosen by Animal Collective to perform at the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival that they curated in May 2011. Having previously toured Australia as a solo artist with a local backing band in 2006, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti toured as a full band in 2011 as part of Laneway Festival and well-received headline shows in Melbourne and Sydney. The 2012 tour promises to be the most mind expanding yet!