{"id":447,"date":"2020-10-09T14:06:58","date_gmt":"2020-10-09T18:06:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/theogony\/2020-2021\/?p=447"},"modified":"2020-10-09T14:12:26","modified_gmt":"2020-10-09T18:12:26","slug":"the-titan-underground-vol-1-terrain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/theogony\/2020-2021\/2020\/10\/09\/the-titan-underground-vol-1-terrain\/","title":{"rendered":"The Titan Underground Vol. 1: Terrain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ethan Gotsch<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Creating music is a way that people channel their emotions. It expresses the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. To the listener, music can be used to help focus or tune out completely. It can create a rush of adrenaline or a sense of calmness. But finding new music and artists can be overwhelming in an era in which so much is available. It can be hard to sort through the noise and find some of the amazingly talented artists who aren\u2019t on the major airwaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s where \u201cTitan Underground,\u201d a new series that shines a light on local underground music, comes in. The pandemic has hit musicians particularly hard since there are virtually no live performances; so follow along here to learn more about your friendly neighborhood musicians and support them online, in the streets of the DMV, and at venues when they open back up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Knowing<\/em> EP Cover Art<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This first volume showcases the Maryland-based artist Terrain, who released their Knowing EP<\/em> on May 23 of this year. Terrain itself is the brainchild of singer-songwriter Randall Mentzos, who Theogony <\/em>was lucky enough to sit down with (virtually, of course) and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Terrain has put out some singles in the past, their most recent release takes things in a different direction. It strips down the layers of sound to reveal just a guy with an acoustic guitar. According to Mentzos, this change in sound was really just a result of \u201chaving trouble finding drummers,\u201d but as the old saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This release is far from standard acoustic guitar fare, however. Mentzos is able to use a singular instrument to create a dense sonic environment around him. This can be heard in the first moments of the EP, where Mentzos finger picks his way up and down the neck before settling comfortably into the chords of the song \u201cMarienne.\u201d These chords are accompanied by playful, multisyllabic lyrics (Twisted teeth in a mangled amalgam mouth<\/em>) that make the song an English teacher\u2019s dream. This track also starts a general theme of love and romance that carries on into the next few tracks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second track, \u201cGena No\u00ebl,\u201d dials the energy back to create a lush landscape with country-styled honky tonk piano countermelodies. The earnestness of country music ties into the song\u2019s lyrics of young, na\u00efve love. Deeper into the EP, the lyrics become less optimistic and more vulnerable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While \u201cMarienne\u201d and \u201cGena No\u00ebl\u201d talk a lot about the experience of love, the third track, \u201cTraveler\u2019s Love,\u201d focuses on love\u2019s fleeting nature and how the best things in life don\u2019t last forever. These lyrics are accompanied by delicate guitar playing that feels very intimate, almost as if you are on a date with Mentzos himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing that makes this EP stand out from other acoustic singer-songwriter releases is the intensity and aggression of some of the vocals and guitar. While Mentzos is influenced by the soft folk alternative of artists like Elliott Smith and Sufjan Stevens, he\u2019s equally inspired by the noisy punk of acts like Sonic Youth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can be best heard on the fourth track, \u201cThirst,\u201d which takes an exotic-sounding fingerpicking riff and then goes into rich, Beach Boys-style harmonies in the chorus. As the song continues, the vocals go from tranquil reflections on the consequences of the past into shouting about regrets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The closing track, \u201cDeafening Ambition,\u201d uses the guitar as a percussive instrument, weaving thumps and muted notes into jazzy chords. While \u201cThirst\u201d reflects Mentzos\u2019 frustrations about the past, this final track feels more at peace and content, acknowledging stumbling blocks but also envisioning a brighter future. The Knowing EP<\/em> can be seen as a concept album, going from youthful innocence to present-day realism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mentzos recorded Knowing<\/em> in J Sterling Studios, a home studio in Jacksonville, Florida. Home studios are an innovative and affordable option used by many modern underground artists. He currently resides in Riverdale, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C., and attends University of Maryland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to music, Mentzos is passionate about environmental and social justice issues. Although he cannot perform live due to COVID-19, he is planning to stream shows using Instagram live under the account @terrainofficial. Terrain\u2019s EP can be found on all major streaming services under the name Knowing EP<\/em>. Check them out \u2013 you won\u2019t regret it!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Creating music is a way that people channel their emotions. It expresses the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. To the listener, music can be used to help focus or tune out completely. It can create a rush of adrenaline or a sense of calmness. But finding new music and artists can be overwhelming in an era in which so much is available. It can be hard to sort through the noise and find some of the amazingly talented artists who aren\u2019t on the major airwaves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":487,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"yes","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-447","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-style"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/theogony\/2020-2021\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/IMG-9786.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/theogony\/2020-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/447","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/theogony\/2020-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/theogony\/2020-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/theogony\/2020-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/theogony\/2020-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=447"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/theogony\/2020-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/447\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":488,"href":"https:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/theogony\/2020-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/447\/revisions\/488"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/theogony\/2020-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/theogony\/2020-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=447"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/theogony\/2020-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=447"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/theogony\/2020-2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}