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Love’s Secret Domain
By Chris O'Neal 03/09/2011
The bizarro effect
Think of the Ventura music scene. What comes to mind? Punk, thrash, some metal spread out here and there, a bit of hip-hop if you know where to look. In neighboring Los Angeles, the mood is different. Indie reigns supreme — trumpeting post-punk, psychedelic folk rock that becomes the war cry of the hipster, though the word itself has become diluted and ambiguous. What better way to burst onto the scene than to be completely different (at least for Ventura)? Take Josh Slavin’s labor of love, Love’s Secret Domain (LSD). What started off as a feverish dream after a night of drinking soon became a three-year project, with the band transforming constantly around Slavin. Rather than try and make it to Los Angeles, where it might have been easier to produce a following, Slavin has chosen a subversive, subtle approach to marketing LSD — through a spectacle of a stage show coupled with his impressive talent.From Padawan to Jedi (of Glam)
Slavin’s position as the frontman of LSD came over time and at the guiding hand of his mentors, whom he credits with not only teaching him to play various instruments, but also showing him the often difficult world of sound design, which he put to use creating the band’s first album. “I’ll carry the album with me if I go to a party, and someone will always ask about it,” he said. “I’ll tell them about the band, they’ll buy a CD, and they usually end up loving it.” When Slavin isn’t working the stage, he’s working the classroom. Over the years, Slavin has taken guitar lessons, interned at various sound studios, and currently has a vocal coach who helps him find a middle ground between punk and pop. “I incorporate both [punk and electronic music]. Live, we have punk energy, it’s really loud with all the energy of a punk show but in a different context.”Candy, copulation and sonic mutilation
Alice Cooper will soon be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and rightfully so. His influence can still be seen in his glamorous, “all the stage is a stage” kind of horror show. LSD is no stranger to Cooper’s style, choosing not to shock the audience, but to give them a performance along with their rock. Slavin’s interest in art helped to transform him and his band from simple musicians to performance artists. Using studio space borrowed from a friend, Slavin constructed a box replete with black lights and a glass enclosure for use in the music video shot for LSD’s first single, “No Substitute.” Inspired by William Burroughs, David Bowie and the beat poets of the 1950s, Slavin’s lyrics echo sarcasm and advice columns, all set to a controlled chaotic rhythm. “Candy, copulation and sonic mutilation. It’s a slightly less annoying way of saying sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll. It’s all about tweaking things and destroying sound, and then building it back up again.”
Love’s Secret Domain will be at Billy O’s in Ventura on Saturday, March 12.
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