PipemanRadio Talks With Visionary Sonny Angell About ARC EVOLVES

0:04 Hey, you have done to censure fore wow, pray. Young, wakeup of America. It's time for the Adventures of Pipe Man on W four c HY dot com. West pomp Beats is number one internet radio station. Here's your host, the pipe Man. Question across charge for party. Producer Georgia already.

0:45 Does out of the fire side, Dona, what's kinda what you try to ride? You gotta take? This is the pipe Man here on the Adventures pipe Man W four c Y Radio. And I'm here with our next guest who killer music And I really love about it is it's different, which is hard to find nowadays. Okay, so let's welcome to the show. Sunny from ARC. How are you. I'm great man, Thanks for having me. I appreciate it. And you're right, it is different, sometimes to to a bad reason, sometimes to a good reason. But it's it's definitely you know, when I started this, it was a friend of mine said, arc is a question will it work because you have these blazing keyboard solos and you have these guitar solos at the same time, and it's kind of like techno and an industrial and having met all at the same time. So it's uh not a lot of bands do that, especially in America. No, No, I don't know about So I'm trying to just trying something and seeing if it works, and it's getting there.

1:57 I think it's getting there. Well, what I dig about it is, I say all the time, it seems like nowadays metal has this like algebraic equation that bands used to form make a formula, and I come from the days there were no formulas. Okay, it was just you got up there and played and it was whatever it was, okay type of thing. And you know what I also like is I like the blending of genres because that's what makes it unique. And it's something that wasn't allowed to be done back in the day. Like you wouldn't be able to put techno with metal without getting super harassed. Okay, how far back are talking here?

2:40 Eighties eighties? Yeah exactly. It had to be synthpop or heavy metal and nothing in between. That's what it was, Yeah, totally. And you know the thing is, we all from that era liked the other music, but we weren't allowed to admit it. Which ever side you were on you were, you liked it, but you weren't allowed to admit you liked it. That's right. The heavy metal guys weren't allowed to like depeche Mode, and depeche Mode people weren't allowed to like Motley Crue or or White Snake or anything like that. So it was just, yeah, there was a line to Ron John the middle, you're reminding me about that.

3:21 And I was a huge Slayer fan, and if you were a Slayer fan, you couldn't like anybody else. They did something different too, They did something where they were just like, you know, everybody's dressing up like girls and they're singing about love. Let's write about Satan and death and all this other stuff and not dress up like girls and scare everybody. That's our thing. It's you know, and you know the funniest part about that is okay. So they went up to the Bay Area after Metallica, okay, And I was at both Metallica and Slayers like first shows down in La Get out here really, and then when Metallica left, We're like, fuck, you're leaving us with all these hair metal bands, and me and my bro we used to like hitchike up to the Bay Area to go to the real shows.

4:10 And then when we went to those shows, we were like, whoa Like, we thought the LA shows were cool until we went up there. So the fight as far as Slayer, when they ended up going to Bay Area, they used to wear like the the eyeliner because that meant you were evil. That didn't go over well in the Bay Area. The Bay Area beds were like, Uh, yeah, no, you're not doing that here, Okay. Make is makeup is makeup. I don't care what you think. Take it us true, that's true, and. That's kind of what we do at the same time, because besides the music, I started this project as a kind of a vision in my head to to create a theme and a performance based band to be entertainment for the eyes as well of the ear as with the Ears, That's what I was trying to do. So I cooked up a story I had first.

5:01 I had a vision in my head of what the band was going to look like because I'm a visual artist by trade, and I just cooked up this idea that we're from out of space. We're not human, we are these transmissions that are sent from somewhere to Earth. That's why we're called ARC's point A to point B nice and I made these costumes from scratch, I wired everything, I made these stage props, I created choreography. For the band. Watched to the dismay of my band, but they once they started to do it, they liked it, you know, and it's we're trying something different. That's something that I don't see anyone doing.

5:43 I'm not saying that we're amazing or innovators or anything like that, but we're just daring to do something different. And that's true artist. That's a true artist to me. Like anybody can sit there and emulate somebody else, and like we all have influences, but there's a difference between being influenced by and emulating, you know, And it takes to be blunt. It takes balls to just be yourself and go out there and do what your vision is. And it every superstar artist, that's what that's what they did.

6:23 Like everybody told them how something when work, and they had to do it their way, you know, because that's the vision they had in their head. And I think that's the only way to be, Like, especially when it comes to music, you have to be real. That's that's what it comes down to. That's what I'm doing, That's what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to be real. I'm trying to I'm trying to make my mark, and I'm trying to get out there, you know, and show me I want. What I usually want is I think of all these ideas and then I act upon them and I do them at the shows, and I have my singer do this or do that or whatever. I put a smoke cartridge in his vest and make him press a button and roll around the floor like he's smoking and like he's hurt or something like that, and I want people to just go like, Wow, what is going on?

7:13 What are they doing? I love it. I'd like to envelop enough mystery in that where we don't we don't like spoon feed the people. We don't say like make some noise. We are arc and we are this, we are that. We say nothing. We get up there, we do our show, we get off. So if you really like it, you want to know what's going on, you will look for us again. I love it because live shows, first of all, are just so important. Number one. Number two, if I want to listen to the album, I will listen to the album. I go to a live show for the experience, you know, Yes, and it is supposed to be a performance. It's not just it's funny. Because I go on tour and I do radio coverage for like all these festivals all over the US, UK, Europe, and you know, there there's one band in particular, I won't mention who it is. At every media person at every festival is like, oh my god, I love them, but they are so fucking boring. They don't even boob and they're just playing it.

8:24 Yeah, I know, they're so good. That's usually what it is. It's even when I like, I really like an artist on Instagram or whatever and I contact them, they're just like boring as hell. And they just like give me a thumbs up or something like that. I'm like, I'm really inspired by your song, how did you do this? How did you do that? I really like you should collab one day, and they're just like, yeah, cool, dude, thanks, you know right, you know. And then there's other bands that I don't know. I didn't like them until I saw them live, or maybe I didn't know of them. One of the bands that that happened to me with it's Bring Me the Horizon. The first time I saw them live, I was like Oh my fucking god. They're now in my top five all favorite bands. And that was the first time I ever heard them, you know, and it was like wow or there was like there's bands that I didn't like until I saw them live because that is different, you know, and like, think about it. Okay, so you take a band like Kiss, right, if they didn't do the theatrics they did, would they be around today? I doubt it. Nope, nope exactly.

9:30 And they had the option to unmask during the eighties and it worked just like it worked in the seventies. They were doing this heavy metal disco stuff, you know, and they changed with the times, you know, so it was, uh, it was good. You just reminded me of like a band that you saw alive and that looks like they're in the top five. Like the first time I saw a power Trip no Power Trip R Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was. I was getting they were the first band and I was getting a drink and I turned around and I was like, whoa, they are cool man. Yes, And I don't know if it will be the same or not, but did you know, like some some of the festivals uncovering this year, they're playing at their back this year playing and I don't know what that's gonna be like without him, but oh my god. I was at Psycho Las Vegas and they they were playing a show at one of the hotels, like on this huge pat platform over the pool, like this concrete thing over the pool, and we were like circle pitting in the pool.

10:38 That's awesome, though. They're so cool. It's when a when a band just like draws you in static X two back yeah, nineteen ninety nine, I think it was. I saw them open for Romstein, which is my favorite band of all time, by the way. Uh and he just he came out and he has his hair sticking straight up. I'm like, what is this dude doing. I'm like, okay, cool, this is different, you know, and they draw you in and it's like you said before, you know, sometimes they're boring. The reason why I implement this stuff in my band is because anyone can get up there in black T shirts and just play. You have to set yourself above everybody else and do something different. You have to do something different.

11:20 Well, like you said, Romstein, perfect example. Like last year, I don't remember which festival was, I think it was two of them. I saw Hal Lindemann and oh my god, that was one of the most disturbing best live performances I ever saw in my life. That's his thing, that's what he does, that's what he does. Oh my god, the stuff he had, the video he had up there, like, oh my god, it was so disturbing. You couldn't help But not like it. I know. It's it's you want to be a part of it, even though you don't. At the same time, it's just that's that's what he does, and that's what they do.

12:02 That's what rom Song has been doing for so many years, and they've also what I really admire about them is they upgrade themselves. They top themselves in every way every year. Yeah, and that's what I try to do with my band too. You can't keep doing the same thing. You can't be looking the same way, you can't be doing the same stuff on stage. You have to change it up and continue to think about how to make it over the top. If you think of an idea, it's like, well, that's cool. Yeah, I can have a smoke cartridge in my in my glove and no one will notice it. But how can I make that over the top? How can they make that even better? Yeah, you know, I see it. I love that too, because again going back to even bands I put on great performances. When you go to as many shows as I do, after a while, it's like people will be around me and I'll say the words in between the songs and they're like, how you know that? Like, because it's been the exact same thing for the past four years.

13:03 You know, I'm okay if it's for one year, but you know, like change it up, evolve, get bigger, get better, always try outdo yourself. You know. Yeah, yeah, totally, man, I agree with you, And that's terrible. I didn't. I haven't seen. I haven't seen as many shows as you, and I don't. I imagine bands are like that. They don't change a thing, No, not at all, and some of them are my favorite bands. But it even gets to a point where it's like, yeah, I just stay backstage. I've seen. You know, Yes, sir, I do.

13:43 And when you can like predict every single move, you know is you know, it's a great show, but change it up. Kiss did do that? Kiss did change up things and arder things you can predict about Kiss, Yes, because it are the iconic parts, but it's not the whole show, you know, And so I think that's great about you. That means you're a true artist and a true creative. And I want to know to explain to the listeners you have this philosophy, the Arc Evolves philosophy. Talk more about that kind of what. I was touching on before. It's topping yourself. Yeah, and it can happen naturally or it can happen under your control.

14:29 And I like to try to do both, just to make sure it happens even when you're sitting there. If you have a passion about. Something, if you're like my passion is my band and my music and my creations and all that stuff. If you have a passion about it, it's going to evolve. You're going to think of new ideas, You're going to just keep working it. Yeah, it's going to happen naturally, but you also have to really. You have to work on it. You have to stay ahead of yourself mentally. And that's pretty much what Arc Evolves means. Because we started out as a kind of a regular band without a synth player, without a keyboard player, and I wanted a keyboard player.

15:15 I wanted a synth player in the band. I tried looking for one, couldn't find one. So I told the band, much to their dismay, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna stop playing guitar in the band and I'm gonna play the synth and I'm gonna learn how to play keyboard and I'm gonna. Learn how to do all this stuff. So that's what I did. Yeah, And that's what I did because I've been a guitar player for oh god, what year is a twenty twenty five, twenty seven years? Wow? And yeah, like a lead guitar player. And you know, I don't mean toot my own horn. I'm pretty good, you know. I play leads in the peggios, and I study. You know, Envy Mountstein stuff and Joe Satriani stuff and John Pertrucci.

15:57 And all that stuff. I'm not as good as them, but you know I already under them basically. But but the the arc evolves thing is just topping yourself and trying to be better at at your yourself, at your music, even if you have to. You know, dare I say it, replace a band member because you think that you could be better off with a better guitar player, better bass player, a better singer or something like that. Arc evolves are It's always going to evolve, and that's. What the what the mantra is. And you know it's like sometimes fans they don't want you to evolve, but then they come back, you know.

16:41 You know, I was one of those people with Metallica as there's a Black and there were twenty five of us that used to see them originally in the clubs and when they came out with the Black album and we're like, fuck those posers, but there they were still my favorite best. They were saying that Justice Parole right after actually yeah, yeah, they were saying that would have no that was excuse me. Right after kill them All, they were saying that they ride the Lightning. Excuse me, I'm sorry, I got it mixed up. I remember, yeah, Cliff with Cliff and James and they were like, oh, they're they're selling out and they're like, no, we're not. Forget it. You know, oh yeah, we were. We were brutal back in the day, and like we were like, we were like, okay, so speak of kill Mall and ride the Lightning. We all said that if you took fight fire with Fire and put on Kill Mall and took jump in the fire and put on Ride the Lightning. Kill Mall is the best metal album ever of all time?

17:38 Correct? Right? My opinion is Master of Puppets. But that's just me. Okay, well this was this was afore Master. I'm still killing all. I'm still killing all. I still have. You probably can't understand anything from it because it was taped over fifty times, the original demo. Oh god, the tape trading days, Like I got one that was taped over like fifty times. If you could know, it's great, you know, but you know. But see that's the point. When you're young like that and an idiot, you don't want your band to evolve. But then you think about now I think of it as adult now, Like, if I'm a musician, do I want to stay only being only as good as my garage band days? I mean, really, like even have Field, He'll say, Like the San Jose Sharks, they play Search and Destroyer at the games, but they play the original version. He's like, I don't know why they don't do the updated version because I can actually sing.

18:44 Now I sucked then. He didn't suck. Then I didn't. I didn't think so I liked his voice. But yeah, I like his voice too, I don't. I don't like how he sings. Now that's just me, you know. But yeah, yeah it was I want the old hit field, old headfield back. It was raw and it was like had Carmine a piece. He described it as like a chainsaw or jigsaw or something like that. You know his voice, you know that whole Metallica sound, you know, right, that's true. And so now tell everybody how they can reach out to you. You know, on the web, on your socials, check out your music. You have a cool merch store. That's the most important because it's the only way you guys survive And they can't listen to my show anymore if they don't buy merch from the bands on my show.

19:38 That's right, that's right. Where what Buckethead or who else said that that bands are just overpriced shirt salesman? I think I think Buckethead said that. I don't know. Oh, you can find us on Instagram. It's ARC period Evolves at Arc dot Evolves. We're mostly on Instagram. You can find us on Facebook too. It's also arc Evolves, arc Dout evolves. I try to keep it consistent throughout all socials. And if you want to search us on Spotify, if you have Spotify, it's gonna yet be Arc ARC and you can type out the album name, the latest album name, Awaken the Machine, and you can find us on there, or you can find us anywhere after that, just Arc Awaken the Machine and you can find us, and they can find our previous album from two years ago on there as well.

20:36 And what can give them some like juice of why they should listen to the newest music. Because it's aptly named Awaken the Machine for a reason. Originally our first album was called Dark Mirrors, all right, and it was really just a compile of songs that me and the guitarist wrote, and I kind of just put scyn silver because I transitioned from the guitar player to the synth player and it wasn't. It wasn't us finding our sound yet. So Awaken the Machine is Awakening the Machine and us finally finding our sound.

21:19 But we're going to continue to evolve. Like I think Carry King said it. He says, usually he takes bands about three albums to find their sound, And you know, I think we found our sound in one. And it's interesting that Carrie said that because he has sounded the same since. I know. He's the luckiest MF on this planet. Really, he really right. Yeah, anyone can do his job, but he's Slayer, you know. And you know it's funny. When he was coming out with his new project beforehand, he told people, He's like, if you're expected something different, just gonna be a continuation of the last Slayer album.

22:05 I can't do anything else. It's like, yeah, I'm still gonna wear my sunglasses, i still don't have eyes, you know, I'm gonna I'm just gonna do Slayer. That's what I'm gonna do. And I'll go see it. I'll go see it. I think what's funny is I think what's funny is when he lost his hair, is when he gained his shades. That's trial, that's true, that's right. Yeah, you're right. I miss him with hair though. I know, right. And those huge spikes. Do you remember those like nails, those huge nails. That was badass. I'm a little young for that time, but like I have some friends that were old enough to be like teenagers or twenty years old during that time. And they're like, those are serious businessmen.

22:50 You still stayed away from people that were like that were wearing those because they would literally just like stab you with them. Oh yeah, the Nails show, it was wild times. And then you know, you went to Susiala shows and the Suie boys used to be in the pit with switchblades. Oh dear, Yeah, it was kind of crazy back in the day, kind. Of a that's a little better than I would imagine. Yeah, yeah, yeah, right, Uh, tell about it. I got a trivia question for you. Then, what famous comedian was on a talk show impersonating g Allen?

23:33 Oh geez, can you give me a time frame? I don't know the time frame, but I'll give you a hint that you might detect some pets. I like to text some pets. Riddle me this, riddle me. That was another hint. Away the riddle be this will be that I know. Yeah, okay, So it was Jim Carrey. Yeah, I'm surprised I didn't. I never seen him do that. Oh yeah, you gotta look it up, man, And he's I forget what it was odd. I think it was Mariy Pulvich or one of those shows he's running up and down the aisles and he's like screaming in people's faces like it's wild.

24:23 That was when he was like, you know, really really funny and nuts. But yeah, exactly, I gotta see that. I got to watch that. Oh yeah, it's funny as ship. I'm even happier than I figured it out there. See that you did good. Any final words you want to leave our listeners with, just. Give us a shot. We're trying something. If you ever come to our live shows, we are going to command your attention. You are not going to leave until the last song. I guarantee it. I love it because that's what it's all about, right there. Man, I'm that type. Man. I want to be just as excited on the last song as I am the first song.

25:06 You will not be bored. You will not be bored. That's a good thing. Don't be that other band. No, all right, bro, Well, thanks a lot for making us great music, and thanks for being on the Adventures of Pape Man. I appreciate you, man, I appreciate you. Thank you so much anytime. Thank you for. Listening to the Adventures of Pate Man. I'm w for CUI Radio.