Band Info (members of the press please click here)

BEST THING OVERHEARD AT A CKG SHOW:
"First they were angry, then funny, then angry, then funny again. And then I couldn't tell if they were angry or funny."


DEFIANCE WEBZINE

"The album kicks off with what has to be my favourite track so far of 2010 "Christ Control" is one of those tracks that screams industrial metal, it screams Nine Inch Nails and it screams listen to me over and over which I found myself doing on many occasions so far this year...."

"...Cancer Killing Gemini are not industrial or rock or grunge they are simply a band with every genre covered, this album has mass appeal and there is something for everyone on here. It simply is a classic rock album in the making and one I'll be proud to have [in my record collection]. "

NY WASTE
"...Industrial metal with one foot on the gas and the other in the grave. Soaring vocals and barbwire guitars, an insane mix of prescription drugs and end of the world rock. Check 'em out before they spontaneously combust."


METAL.DE

"Simply wonderful... American Industrial rock at its finest... everything fits, everything is right... Each track of the album is a small adventure in itself... very charming and unconventional: One can feel the music behind the artist's name, the personality of the album..." (translated from German)


MUZIK REVIEWS.COM - Doug Morrissey

"...CKG blends hooks strong enough to land a whale with music that is ready to be played on commercial radio right now. "Christcontrol", the opening song, is a perfect example of blending the industrial strength wall of sound with a great hook that gets stuck in you like forgotten medical tools from a major operation... "

"...equal parts industrial wall of sound...and melodic ease that could be the soundtrack for a hurricane out at sea." 


ROCKMETALBANDS.COM

"...Almost all of the arrangements are perfect, the painstaking vocals and lyrics can make you comprehend he worked long on them, so that all tracks could potentially enjoy radio airplays...The recording is professional and bombastic, whereas the songs contain quite a lot of catchy and hypnotizing choruses and vocal hooks..."


PUREGRAINAUDIO.COM        - Spencer Matulaitis
"Christcontrol" [Song Review]

"the chorus is this awesome, almost ballad-like hook that keeps you wanting more"

"NIN comparisons be damned, "Christcontrol" is a hell of a cool song"

Radio Play:

AL Edmonton CJSR, BC Victoria CFUV, CA Chico KCSC, CA Orange KNAB, CT New Haven WSIN, CT Storrs WHUS, CT West Hartford WSAM, CT West Hartford WWUH, CO Mancos KSJD, FL Fort Lauderdale WNSU, FL Tampa Bulls Radio, IA Ames KURE, IL Carbondale WIDB, IL Chicago WRDP / Radio Depaul, IL Summit WARG, IN Valaparaiso WVUR, KY Bowling Green WWHR, LA Monroe KXUL, LA Shreveport KSCL, MA W.Barnstable WKKL, MA Waltham WBRS, MA Worchester / Boston WAAF, MA Williamstown WCFM, MD Baltimore WLOY, ME Lewiston WRBC, MI Alma WQAC, MO Rolla KMNR, MO St Louis UMSL, NC Boone WASU, NF St John’s CHMR, NH New London WSCS, NY Auburn WDWN, NY Brookville WCWP, NY Binghamton WHRW, NY Saratoga Springs WSPN, OH Oxford WMSR, ONT Thunder Bay CILU, OR Gresham KMHD2, OR Portland KPSU, PA Allentown WMUH, PA Shippensburg WSYC, PA University Park WKPS, PA Villanova WXVU, RI Providence WXIN, TX Richardson Radio, TX San Antonio KRTU, TX San Antonio KSYM , VA Blacksburg WUVT, VA Richmond WDCE, WI Beloit WBCR-2 , WI Superior KUWS

Interview - Cancer Killing Gemini - 9/11 Remembered

Cancer Killing Gemini Interview in GraveConcernEzine.com

Interview Date – 9th September 2011

Interviewer – Phill Bruce

9/11 is a day that will be remembered in history and will be on the minds of people far beyond our lifetime. It is a subject that raises debate about the events surrounding it. No matter what was involved in the run up to it the fact is thousands lost their lives as a result. Cancer Killing Gemini recently released the song “World Trade” to mark the anniversary of 9/11. I got a chance to catch up with Eric from Cancer Killing Gemini to ask him all about it and here’s how it went.

Download: "World Trade" Here
http://c2lo.reverbnation.com/audio_player/download_song_direct/9899388


Phill – Hi Eric thanks for giving Grave Concerns Ezine this interview, can we start by you giving us all a little background about Cancer Killing Gemini?

Eric – Hi Phill. Sure. Cancer Killing Gemini started as my solo industrial / downtempo project with the release of a full length album “It only hurts when we breathe” in 2010. (Thanks to Julie from Grave Concerns to be one of the first to review some of the tracks from that album.) In the fall of 2010, I began looking for musicians so that CKG could start playing out. By December 2010 the lineup was complete: Frank Hegyi on Drums, Andrew Padua on bass, Maxwell Butler on keys, Chuck Pukmel on guitar and myself on vocals. What has happened since then has been a wild ride. The sound of the band has evolved as the styles of each of the new members has been incorporated. Self-described, we might now be similar to Motley Crue meets Steely Dan meets Nine Inch Nails. I can't wait to see what we sound like next year.



Phill – First main question really, where were you and what were you doing when you heard of the news on that fateful day?

Eric – I woke up and turned the tv on while I was getting ready to go to work. Every channel was showing the same shot of the first tower smouldering. I stayed home and watched the news all day and into the night, changing channels every few moments. I saw the second plane hit . I kept watching, trying to absorb every bit of information I could. I watched the news for weeks, immersing myself in the coverage. I internalized my feelings about the event by trying to logically understand it.

Phill – So what inspired Cancer Killing Gemini to write a song about the war on terror?

Eric – When I heard the Osama Bin Laden had been killed, it had a profound impact on me. So many terrible things had transpired between 9/11 and his death. Our soldiers being killed. Iraqi and Afghan citizens being killed. The Patriot Act. Abu Gharib. Guantanamo Bay. The misguided invasion of Iraq. Waterboarding. The demonization of Muslims in the eyes of America. The demonization of Americans in the eyes of Muslims. Body scans at the airport. How could one man be the catalyst for all of this? Fuck you Bin Laden. You will be forgotten and the world will heal.


Phill – Have you ever visited Ground Zero, if so what emotions were brought up while you were there?

Eric – I've been twice. Once in 2001, a few months after the attack and then again last month. In 2001, the site was a hole in the ground, a pile of debris. There were trucks hauling out the rubble. There were photos and flowers and messages memorialising lost family and friends. The mood around Ground Zero was quiet, somber, serious, respectful.

When I returned this year, things were different. The Freedom Tower's skeleton was 70 or 80 stories high. Cranes bearing American flags dotted the skyline. The mood was hopeful, active, forward-thinking. People of all races, ages and walks of life mingles together observing the progress. There are a few photos and some more info in a blog post I wrote when we released the song: http://cancerkillinggemini.blogspot.com/2011/08/world-trade-writing-music-about-911-ten.html



Phill – How do you think this affected the people of New York in the aftermath and up until now?

Eric – The New Yorkers I know all had a strong, even severe emotional reaction to 9/11. Sadness, fear, guilt, anger; Two friends of mine very easily could have been working that day at WTC but by chance were not. I'd say NYC is doing an admirable job of healing, and I think the completion of the construction will be a very emotional time for the city and the country.

Phill – In your eyes what effect on the world do you think 9/11 has had?

Eric – Beyond the loss of life, I think the biggest impact is the setback in relations between the West and the Middle East.


Phill – What effect has 9/11 had on your life?

Eric – It has solidified my beliefs that violence seldom solves anything. Some people say “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”. Ghandi says “an eye for an eye only makes the world blind”. That resonates with me.

Phill – Why release your songs free of charge?

Eric – We record and release one song a month, every month forever. The most recent two are free. Then the songs go into back catalogue and you can pay for them. Fans of CKG who stay in contact (mailing list or facebook) get all our new music for free forever if they stay in contact. If you join up now there's about an album and a half of back catalogue available. I you like the free songs every month, our hope is that you'll fill in your collection by buying the older tracks. Also, it's a lot of fun recording one song every month. You can hear the progression of the band in real time. If we saved the songs until we had enough for an album, I don't think they'd sound the way they do.

Phill – So tell me a little more about Cancer Killing Gemini, where did you all meet?

Eric – I found Frank (drums) through a classified ad. He had moved to Boston just a few weeks before. His talent was immediately obvious. I met another ten or fifteen musicians through ads. They varied from adequate to terrible. Andrew (bass) played in a band called the Bentmen a few years earlier. I recorded a few albums for them. I always enjoyed Andrew's attitude and playing style. Max (keys) was recommended by another keyboard friend of mine who was unavailable for the gig. He may be one of the best all-around musicians I have ever met. Chuck (guitar) was recommended by the first guitar player we rehearsed with who had to bow out for family reasons. Chuck (who is also a recording engineer) has been a great asset as a player and engineer, but also as someone who keeps an eye on the big picture. Our personalities are similar enough that we easily see eye to eye on many things, but different enough where Chuck will catch things I might miss and vice versa. All in all, it's a great group.

Phill – What is the inspiration behind the name Cancer Killing Gemini?

Eric – There are a bunch of interpretations, but the one that holds the most weight is that I was convinced for most of my life that I'd never quit smoking cigarettes, and that lung cancer would kill me. My zodiac sign is Gemini.

Phill – What are your musical inspirations?

Eric – I'm not sure if this is the way you mean for me to answer the question, but I aspire to pull people out of their comfort zones, to distort their mainstream. That manifests mostly in the lyrics, with songs about cults, prescription drugs, eating disorders, 9/11, atheism, homosexuality, teen pregnancy, taxidermy, etc etc. Also, while still forming the band, I was able to make a video with a well-known dominatrix named Julie Simone. The video (for “Should I Tell You That You're Pretty”) is up on You Tube and at http://www.cancerkillinggemini.com.



Phill – What are your aspirations for Cancer Killing Gemini?

Eric – I'd like to get to the point were we can make a living wage from music. Also, I'd like to continue to expand the subject matter of the songs. What topics would take you out of your comfort zone? I'd like to make you uncomfortable.

Phill – Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

Eric – I want to be on a regional tour circuit with some targeted shows farther away. I've never been to England or Europe. It would be amazing to get there with music.

Phill – If you had to sum up the music of Gemini Killing Cancer in 3 words what would they be?

Eric – “Genre-bending liberal aggression”.

Phill – If you could play any venue in the world where would you like to play and who would you like to be on the bill with you?

Eric – I'd like to play in space with The Jesus Lizard, The Pixies and Fiona Apple.

Phill – Of all the songs in your back catalogue which one holds the most significance for you and why?

Eric – That's a tough one. I think my favorite right now is “Vaseline For The Vomit Queen” which is relatively new. I just love the progression, the recording, the energy, the lyrics. “Christcontrol” and “Prescription Drugs” from the first album are close behind.

Phill – Ok a little fun now, desert island disks. Which 5 albums would you want to have on your solar powered mp3 player if you were stuck on a desert island?

Eric – The Pixies “Surfer Rosa”, Silversun Pickups “Carnavas”, Nirvana “Incesticide”, Portishead “Dummy”, something by the Black Eyed Peas. If you asked the rest of the band it might be Doctor John, Adele, Rush, Nancy Sinatra, Foo Fighters, Reign of Kindo, Black Keys, Mutemath or any number of other things.

Phill – What has been the funniest moment of being with Cancer Killing Gemini?

Eric – I wish the jokes would translate to text, but they don't. We have a great time together and the humour usually finds its way onto the stage. We just filmed a live performance for a local cable access show. Afterwards, we decided Frank (drums) would be the only one to talk during the interview. It was very difficult to stay quiet and the interview was incredibly awkward and therefore wonderful.

Phill – Thank you so much for giving Grave Concerns Ezine this interview, is there anything you would like to add?

Eric – I just want to thank you and GC for your continued support. Also thanks for talking about 9/11 – not an easy topic but an important one. “World Trade” will be a free download forever from our website http://www.cancerkillinggemini.com.

Thanks so much, good luck for the future

Bands in the Trenches: Can One Free Song a Month Get More Fans and More Money?

Posted on August 29, 2011 by Chris "Seth" Jackson

Here’s the transition we’re facing today. The concept of the album is dying, and singles are back on the rise. How do we monetize and promote singles? Especially since they are so easily pirated? The band, Cancer Killing Gemini, is using a unique strategy to both give singles away for free AND make money off their music. All the while, rewarding fans on a monthly basis. Check it out!

The Cancer Killing Gemini Release and Distribution Model for Independent Music

Boston, Massachusetts – Rock / Electronic band Cancer Killing Gemini launch a delivery system in “the new world of free” to distribute music and increase fanbase.

Cancer Killing Gemini releases one new free song a month…. forever. But it’s the back end monetization that makes this approach interesting. “After 60 days, each song becomes back catalog and is no longer a free download” says singer / producer / songwriter Eric Michael Cohen.

“Fans who stay in contact receive all our new material for free, forever. As time passes, the back catalog grows. Fans who join next year get the same deal, but since the catalog has grown, there is more material for purchase. We’re betting that fans who download free songs month after month will eventually buy older tracks and also tell their friends about a cool band that gives away new music every month. Instead of ‘here’s something for free, now buy the rest’ Cancer Killing Gemini is taking more of a ‘pay it forward’ approach.”

“Our click-thru and download percentage are already increasing, as well as the number of reposts on sites like Facebook and ReverbNation. Fans seem to be excited to be able to pass something free along to their friends.” Cancer Killing Gemini launched “The Cancer Killing Gemini Release and Distribution Model” this January with a hard rock song called “Buried In The Frequencies”. February’s followup is the more down-tempo “In Chocolate-Covered Misery” for Valentine’s Day.
About Cancer Killing Gemini:

Cancer Killing Gemini began as a studio project but has since transformed into a live band. They self-record and release music in a number of genres including rock, alternative, industrial, down tempo and electronica. Their debut release “It only hurts when we breathe” has received spins on over 50 US college radio stations as well as internet radio. CKG fans are predominantly 25-45 and may be fans of bands like Muse, Nine Inch Nails, Portishead, The Beatles, Radiohead, Slipknot, Silversun Pickups or Linkin Park. Cancer Killing Gemini is currently booking shows in the New England / New York areas.
Contact:

Eric Michael Cohen
Cancer Killing Gemini
http://www.cancerkillinggemini.com
cancerkillinggemini@gmail.com
617-733-1240

If your band is doing something cool that gets you more money, increases your fans, or gets you more press, contact me at seth@howtorunaband.com. You could be the next Band in the Trenches!

MUSIC CONNECTION - JUNE 2011 Live review @ The Cantab Apr 15, 2011

Material: Take two parts industrial menace, one part comic levity, stir vigorously and then frost generously with keyboards. That's the recipe for Boston's latest buzz band, Cancer Killing Gemini, a sonic tour de force that impels your ass to shake while your jaw hits the floor. Curiously funky, innovative and colored by a disturbed aesthetic, this five-piece take hardcore groove and hurl headlong into the stratosphere, using stellar effects that infuse a strong feel to their ominous yet uplifting style.

Musicianship: Most exciting is newcomer Chuck Pukmel whose guitar playing seemingly involves every technique in the book, including feedback experimentation and hand-manipulating pedal effects. However, it's Maxwell Butler's three-layer keyboard waterfall that ultimately makes the band sound unique. While Butler's notes flow freely, lead singer Eric Michael Cohen plays his trademark one-note attacks on his own set of keys. Perhaps the mic isn't properly mixed but the surprisingly melodic vocals are too often lost in the industrial whirlwind.

Performance: Despite the evening's apparent logistical challenges, the electronic newcomers rose above to deliver an exhilarating set. Cohen's solid rapport with the crowd was put to good use, peppering the evening with humorous asides and twice mentioning their website's promise to deliver one free track a month. He began the evening wearing an ostentatious coat, but that was quickly tossed aside. Later, a pair of foam noodles appeared and, after bashing the cymbals with them, the band engaged the audience in a playful duel. Despite his amusing scowls, Cohen may connect better with his fans by ditching his instrument and letting his antics take center stage.

Summary: For a young band, Cancer Killing Gemini have amassed an impressive pile of accolades and rightfully so--these guys deserve notice. Potent, unique, funny and exciting, their sound only lacks inspiring vocals. Regardless, these boys have tapped a rich creative reservoir that, given time, may yield sacks of grime-covered riches.

--Andy Kaufmann

The Noise Boston CD Review

CANCER KILLING GEMINI

It Only Hurts When We Breathe

10 tracks

Wow—what impeccable production on Cancer Killing Gemini’s debut CD! The sound is crisp, full, ultra-pro; but this all pretty much doesn’t mean anything if the music isn’t up to par. Trust me, it is. There are a variety of words used to describe the band’s music on their site—pop, industrial, electronica, post-grunge, rock—which I’d say is accurate but I rather not define CKG by a genre. Though out the gate with their strong opening track, “Christcontrol” there is a distinct NIN influence. I’d say the rest of the tracks reflect a blendification of the aforementioned styles. The result is a sound that sounds radio-ready and polished but edgy; pop but far from cookie-cutter typical. Because I’m a NIN fan, I was instantly won over by “Christcontrol” (the song is definitely original-sounding—it just has the NIN inspiration) but once the CD went along, I found myself really enjoying all the tunes. Lead vocalist/songwriter/mastermind of Cancer Killing Gemini, Eric Michael Cohn, did a great job balancing catchy, smooth pop with raw, rattling industrialized rock. (Debbie Catalano)

DigThisReal CD review

Depression, addiction, seduction and Rock and Roll; Cancer Killing Gemini covers it all on their album, It Only Hurts When We Breathe. This industrial/grunge Rock band is influenced by bands such as Nine Inch Nails and the Deftones. Their passionate lyrics and fiery hard rock music caters to the misunderstood and the emotionally confused. 

It Only Hurts When We Breath, starts out hard with the song, “Christcontrol,” bearing bold but raspy vocals and a strong guitar. Following this is the song, “Should I Tell You That You’re Pretty,” which is the most powerful song on the album. With lyrics that straddle the fine line between sex and romance, “Should I Tell You That You’re Pretty,” depicts sex without emotion. “Prescription Drugs,” delves into depression and addiction with strong references to suicide.

The album mellows out here and there with songs such as, “Umbillical,” “Real,” and “Century.” In these songs the band takes on a different sound, veering off from their industrial influences and sounding more grunge. Then it ends just how it began with another hard rock industrial song, “Train Wreck.” For the most part, the album is a mixed bag. Just when it starts to mellow out it comes back with a vengeance.

Cancer Killing Gemini has fused modern pop rock with 90’s industrial, delivering intensity and passion with each song on their 10 track release of, It Only Hurts When We Breath. - Cindy Chisvette

MicControl.com Recording In The Home: Cancer Killing Gemini

Today we spoke with Boston-based frontman and sole member of industrial rock outfit Cancer Killing Gemini, Eric Michael Cohen. Recorded entirely in-home, Cancer Killing Gemini's recently released debut album, entitled It Only Hurts When We Breathe is a tour de force combination of hard rock riffs, electronica programming and pop hooks.

Please enjoy the first single off of Cancer Killing Gemini's debut album: Prescription Drugs

Describe your most recent project:

Cancer Killing Gemini comes from the combination of influences.... Silversun Pickups + The Crystal Method.... Nirvana + Ministry.... Portishead + Tears For Fears. The record is part industrial, part downtempo, part electronica and part modern / grunge rock. Hopefully the songwriting and vocals tie these elements together. CKG is also a bit of a response to my previous project Kittymonkey, a female-fronted electronica group. Cancer Killing Gemini is decidedly more masculine.

On the new record It Only Hurts When We Breathe, I wanted to push my own boundaries in different directions, especially lyrically. “Prescription Drugs” is a journey through the side effects of anti-depressants / anti-psychotics, “Should I Tell You That You're Pretty” is the one-night-stand anthem, and “Christcontrol” explores a dysfunctional relationship with organized religion. Each song goes on its own journey, musically and lyrically.

How long have you been writing music?

I got a guitar and a 4-track cassette recorder when I was 14. My best friend bought a drum kit. We wrote a song called “Sterile Rabbits” in his basement... kind of stadium rock meets Ween. I've been writing and playing ever since.

How many different musicians appear on this project?

One.

Where do you perform most of your recordings? Describe the environment.

I put together a home studio to do this record. It's a big open room with very little in it besides music gear. Lots of room to wander around.

Can you describe your recording set-up? Do you use any Microphones? If so, what kind? Recording Software? Mixing Boards?

I've been using Logic (audio software for Mac) for a really long time. It's really deep and full of toys. All the drums are programmed samples. Guitars, bass and Rhodes (electric piano) were played live. Keyboard sounds came from a Kurzweil K2000 or softsynths. I monitored through a pair of NS10's hooked to a subwoofer. I only used one mic on the entire project.

Your recordings are quite clean. Do you have any training or background in audio engineering?

I worked at a great studio in Boston called Squid Hell. Recorded lots of rock, metal, ska, emo etc.. Learned how to use compressors there, learned how to listen.

Do you use physical instruments to get your 'industrial' sound or computer based sound, effects and/or loops? How much of your sound comes from the actual production value?

Most of the grooves are built from scratch using virtual drum machines and sample players – very few loops. The K2000 is a great keyboard for generating really gritty sounds. Logic has some amazing effects and I ran all kinds of tracks through their amp simulators including drums and keyboards. One of my favorite plugins is actually the audio units Multiband Compressor that came free with the Mac.

My approach to creating sounds is to use whatever works. If the guitar just isn't cutting it, move on to something else, like the Rhodes through a bass amp and a distortion box. If that isn't working, try a Moog patch through a delay. If that isn't working, maybe it's just a bad idea.

The first recording of the song “Butterfly” was a fast, post-punk version with just guitar, bass, drums and vocals. I took a break from it for a while and when I listened again, I hated it. So I threw out everything except the vocal track, rewrote the drum part in half-time, and the song took on a whole new life. I rerecorded guitars, keys and bass and the new version of the tune is one of my favorites on the record.

Are the effects preamped or applied after the recording is complete?
Vocals were tracked through a preamp, compressor and de-esser. All other effects were applied in Logic.

What tips would you give to first beginners looking to record all electronic music?

Write good songs, then worry about the sounds. I'd much rather listed to a bad recording of a great song then a great recording of a bad one.

When will it be available and where can fans purchase it?

There is a link at cancerkillinggemini.com where all the tunes from “It only hurts when we breathe” can be purchased right now. These are the final, mastered versions from the record. The record is also now available on iTunes and Amazon.

Check Back Tomorrow for Part 4 of The MicControl.com Interview Series: Recording In The Home. We Will Be Speaking With Acoustic Blues Guitarist Jeff Wyatt.

Be Sure To Check Out The Entire Recording In The Home Series!
Sun Cut Flat (Folk/ Roots Rock)
ESEMDEE (Electronic Instrumental Composer)

The MicControl.com interview series Recording In The Home will explore the equipment, techniques, tips, strategies and styles of in-home recording. Each day, Recording In The Home will feature the interview of a different artist (6 in total), all of whom write and record a different style of music, and whose recordings are of the utmost quality.