Screen Vinyl Image are Jake and Kim Reid, a husband and wife team who, along with their growing roster of ace releases under the SVI moniker, were also formerly of the very talented and now-defunct Washington DC shoegaze outfit Alcian Blue. Alcian Blue, since its demise, has gathered unto itself quite a cult following, and deservedly so. Other ex-members of Alcian Blue have gone on to be in bands such as Skywave (also now defunct, with a residual cult following much the same as Alcian Blue’s) and Ceremony, both superior bands in their own rights.
Screen Vinyl Image also run the independent record label Safranin Sound and Design (although the label is, at the moment, on hiatus); via Safranin they have released stellar albums from bands such as Skywave, Ceremony, the Offering, the Antiques, the Vera Violets, the Vandelles, Safe as Home and Vacuole Eyes.
Screen Vinyl Image blend electronica and psychedelia, creating intense sonic soundscapes. Swarming with heavy samples, Blade Runner era synths, echoed guitars and vocals, and an array of beats ranging from the darkest moments of Suicide and The Jesus and Mary Chain to the deep grooves of early Hank Shocklee productions, dub, and Can era kraut. Peeling back the surface of layers reveals influences in horror/sci fi cinema, early house, italo and techno sounds, and classic John Carpenter epics.
SVI has played with Ceremony, Ulrich Schnauss, Auburn Lull, Spectrum, The December Sound, A Place To Bury Strangers, A Sunny Day In Glasgow, and actively play shows year round. Their live show has been compared by many to Suicide and My Bloody Valentine and their DIY visuals combined with over 3,000 watts of strobes take their audience into a trip of sensory overdrive.
The band got their start in 2006 with the release of the impressive Midnight Sun EP, and since that time, SVI has gone on to create one flawless release after another. Their first full length, Interceptors, appeared in 2009, and their brand new album, Strange Behavior, was released last month. Both LPs are beyond impeccable. This band and their music truly deserve as much attention as listeners could possibly give to them, and them some.
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