I heard Albany, NY-based artist Brad Lamm’s project Third Black Day first, via a mutual friend who accurately clocked my desire for some sparse, NIN-esque electronic music. Then I saw that he had announced an upcoming release under a different name, The New Ethics, and reached out to him immediately for more information and to set this dang interview up. I was pleased to hear that this new project would be taking a more industrial techno approach than Third Black Day, or his touring work with folk group Blood and Sun.
I took a listen to The New Ethics debut album, titled We Know What You Are, and was blown away. It’s about 30 minutes of the sort of dense-yet-minimalist techno that has a way of grabbing your attention and not letting go. This record manages to fit in a unique space where the heavier synths don’t quite meet Carpenter Brut levels of overstimulation, but don’t fall into Kraftwerk simplicity either. The result is a collection of songs that is somehow both energetic and danceable, and easy to lose your sense of your surroundings to.
Lamm was kind enough to let me bother him on the internet regarding his journey as a solo artist. The path to finding his creative home in electronic music started over a decade ago.
‘I started playing in bands with some good friends about 12 years ago now, and have been playing with different bands here and there ever since. I, like most people, had a revelation about halfway through 2020; one that changed my idea of what music is. It became much more personal, even sacred in its own way. Many of the artists I respect the most had solo endeavors, so I figured why couldn’t I do the same thing? Over the last few years I became fascinated with synthesizers and their versatility. I found myself listening to more and more electronic music, and took that as a sign to try my hand at it.‘
The New Ethics is Lamm at his most focused, even moreso than the relative restraint of Third Black Day. We Know What You Are is a highly meditative experience. Each track has a distinct structure of additive noise, building and building into a wall of dense, industrial beats. Lamm says the songwriting process was similar to the nature of the songs themselves, looping, experimental, and almost trance-like.
‘Sometimes I’ll hear a song that makes me feel a certain way and I’ll think ‘yeah, this is incredible, I want to make something that feels like this.‘ Sometimes I’ll sit down and just fuck around until I stumble upon something that clicks. Most of the time I’m motivated to make something new out of fear of being unproductive and lazy. My setup for The New Ethics is really simple. Everything is sampled and composed on an Elektron Digitakt and recorded in one take. I don’t like to make it too complicated.‘
We Know What You Are‘s consistent and intense theming around animal rights, veganism, and the culture of utter abuse and depravity that surrounds factory farming, is present even from just glancing at the tracklist. This is particularly impressive considering the record is almost entirely instrumental. Lamm has managed to convey his convictions clear as day without the use of lyrics, with the exception of some chopped-up whispered samples that lend a disorienting tone to “Surrogate Activity”, almost like the listener is overhearing a language they don’t understand. The atmosphere of a slaughterhouse runs thick through We Know What You Are, with churning, impersonal, repetitive rhythms forming the base of the album. “Violent Systems” features a wailing synth line that could be mistaken for the pained cries of cattle, or security alarm bemoaning an escapee.
Lamm’s personal commitment to veganism not only influences the subject matter of his work, but his entire writing process and day-to-day life.
‘Veganism is a choice that requires you to analyze a lot of what most people don’t think twice about – what you consume, who you’re supporting, where your money goes, etc. It’s a constant act of discipline; something that’s crucial to the creative process. I find that if I’m not trying to create with direct intention, I end up spinning my wheels and I’m unhappy with whatever I make.‘
I admire Lamm’s (and his partner, goth influencer and fashion designer Sammitery‘s) adherence to such a moral code, especially in the current political environment. The rightward cultural swing affects all aspects of our society, and taking the time to simply consider the impact of your choices represents a mindfulness towards other living things that I find commendable.
While The New Ethics may not have any upcoming live shows, Third Black Day will be performing at A.I.R. in Albany, NY on April 24th.
