Mentallo and the Fixer explained

Mentallo and the Fixer
Years Active:1988–present
Origin:Texas, United States
Background:group_or_band
Genre:Industrial, electro-industrial
Current Members:Gary Dassing
Past Members:Dwayne Dassing (1988-1999)

Mentallo and the Fixer (sometimes written as Mentallo & the Fixer) is the project name used by Texan electro-industrial musicians Gary Dassing (Mentallo) and Dwayne Dassing (The Fixer) from 1988 to 1999, and by Gary Dassing alone from 1999 to the present day. The band has several releases on the American record label, Metropolis Records. They are named after two Marvel Comics characters.

Biography

The Dassing brothers first began experimenting with music by the means of more traditional rock music instruments, such as guitar and drums. However, by the time the two formed their first band Benestrophe with vocalist Richard Mendez, the instruments of choice became synthesizers and samplers. Most of the two tapes worth of material they recorded subsequently became available as the releases Sensory Deprivation[1] and Auric Fires on Ras Dva Records.

After parting ways with Mendez, the two brothers began work as Mentallo & The Fixer. A friend of Gary's brought the name "Mentallo & The Fixer" to his attention while still working on Benestrophe. After Benestrophe went dormant, the name resurfaced and, after Gary realized the names referred to two lesser-known comic book characters, the name grew on him.[2]

Their first album release No Rest for the Wicked saw a limited 500-copy run on vinyl and a CD by the Portuguese label Simbiose records, and also gained the attention of Talla 2XLC from Zoth Ommog records. Zoth Ommog released their next two major albums, Revelations 23 and Where Angels Fear to Tread. As an American band, working with European labels proved difficult and frustrating due to poor communications and, in the case of the Simbiose releases, a lack of a formal contract.

Mentallo & The Fixer soon after began their long-term relationship with the American industrial music record label Metropolis Records with a domestic re-release of their second and third albums as well as a CD of unreleased back catalog material, Continuum.[3]

Meanwhile, in 1994, the Dassing brothers formed a side project with vocalist Michael Greene called Mainesthai. Mainesthai's two releases, Out to Lunch and Mentallo & The Fixer Meets Mainesthai were also both released on Metropolis Records, but not until 1998. Michael also participated in Mentallo's first U.S. tour in 1996, joining the band to perform Mainesthai tracks during their live sets.[4]

In 1997 Mentallo & The Fixer toured the U.S. for the second time, Europe for the first time, and released their next album Burnt Beyond Recognition, along with two EPs, Centuries and False Prophets. The band's second US tour was initially cut short due to difficulties because of the long duration and because show revenue was unexpectedly low, but the missed tour dates were rescheduled after a break. The European tour in October that year proved to be a much better experience for the band.[5]

By 1999, Dwayne and Gary agreed to split in order to pursue their own musical directions.[6] After the departure of Dwayne from the band (aside from some live show support through 2002), Gary continued to use the Mentallo & The Fixer name and released several albums including Algorythum, Love Is the Law, Return to Grimpen Ward, and Vengeance is Mine, along with the EP Systematik Ruin to accompany Alogrythum.

After "Grimpen", Mentallo's album output slowed somewhat, resulting in two albums: Enlightenment Through a Chemical Catalyst in 2007, and Music From the Eather in 2012, both released by Alfa Matrix.

In September 2014, Mentallo & the Fixer released a 3 CD box titled Zothera on Alfa Matrix. It contained two remastered albums from their Zoth Ommog era, namely Revelations 23 and Where Angels Fear to Tread, and a third bonus CD Apocrypha with unreleased material including remixes.[7]

Another intervening period of dormancy followed, compelled by the crash of Gary's music computer, which he took as a sign to give music a break for a while. After a several year break and a new Apple computer, Gary found the motivation to revive works in progress from data backups and record a new album, Arrange The Molecule, released by Alfa Matrix in 2017.[8]

Updates posted to the band's official Facebook page in 2019 showed Gary in the studio, joined by brother Dwayne and occasional collaborator Jon (Jonni) Pyre, working on new material for an as yet unnamed project. The apparent inspiration for this live performance-only project is Tangerine Dream's first live recording from 1975, Ricochet.[9]

Discography

Main discography

Studio albums

Remix albums

Extended plays

Compilation albums

Compilation appearances

Side projects

Benestrophe

Benestrophe began after Gary Dassing and Rich Mendez met in their senior year of high school in San Antonio, TX. Their first song - "Pig Butcher" - was recorded in the Summer of 1988. Gary and Dwayne composed the music and Rich wrote the lyrics and provided vocals. Benestrophe went idle in 1990 as the Dassing brothers moved to Austin, TX, but reactivated for a time after 1995 with new material and re-releases on RAS DVA records.[10]

Mainesthai

Mainesthai was a short-term collaboration between the Dassing brothers and Mike Greene. Gary answered an ad that Mike had put in a local paper which led to an interview and one-song demo performance that led to a formal collaboration. As was the case with Benestrophe, Gary and Dwayne produced the music and Mike contributed the lyrics and vocals. Mainesthai's sound was similar to Mentallo, but the subject matter was explicitly more political in nature and the music was made with an effort to sound more melodic and, in their words, "tribal".

Parking Lot in Drug Form

This is a Gary Dassing and Ric Laciak project recorded while Ric stayed with Gary during a two-week visit to Austin, TX.[11]

Shimri

Gary Dassing solo project.

Reign of Roses

Dwayne Dassing with vocals and lyrics by Scott Berens Drum programming on some tracks by Gary Dassing

Kitty Kosmonaut

Dwayne Dassing with John Bustamante of Fektion Fekler

External links

Notes and References

  1. Cipher . Valerio . Paul . Benestrophe - Sensory Deprivation . Industrial Nation . Spring 1995 . 1 . 10 . 57 . Iowa City, IA . 1062-449X . Moon Mystique.
  2. Seegers . Paul . Waggoner . Andy . Interview: Mentallo & The Fixer . Interface Magazine . 1996 . 3 . 2 . 40–41 . Steel Skin Media Group . 1081-8065 .
  3. Web site: Mentallo & The Fixer . MySpace . 5 August 2020.
  4. Mentallo & The Fixer Meets Benestrophe . Culture Shock . July 1997 . 1 . 97 . 14 . Genocide Project . 1093-1651 .
  5. Web site: Ian . An interview with Mentallo & the Fixer's Gary Dassing . Cybernation . 6 September 2020 . 28 Feb 1998.
  6. Daryl . Interview: Mentallo & The Fixer . In_Faction . Winter 1998 . 2 . https://web.archive.org/web/20021014054113/http://www.infaction.8m.com/mentallo.html . 6 September 2020. 14 October 2002 .
  7. News: Van Isacker . Bernard . 7 August 2014 . Classic Zoth Ommog albums by Mentallo & The Fixer remastered and re-released in 3CD boxset / download 'Zothera' . . Belgium . 13 February 2015.
  8. Web site: 'Extended Interview' with Mentallo & The Fixer: 'I Just Want People To Trip Out On It' . Side-Line Magazine . 5 August 2020 . 2 December 2017.
  9. Web site: VJK . Mentallo & The Fixer: Was treiben sie in alter Besetzung im Studio? . Volt Magazin . 6 September 2020 . 16 July 2019.
  10. Shirey . Eric . Interview: Mentallo & The Fixer . Industrialnation . Summer 1995 . 11 . 83–85 . Moon Mystique . 1062-449X.
  11. Cooney . James . Mentallo & The Fixer: False Prophets . Base Asylum . 1998 . 1 . 15 . The Frequency Project.

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