Photo by Evan Jenkins

From the ether of experimental art rockers Disappears, Brian Case and Noah Leger have been shape-shifting a new path in noise with FACS since 2018. The trio of Case on vocals and guitar, Leger on drums, and – in her final bow with the band – bassist Alianna Kalaba recently released their fourth album, Still Life In Decay (Disappears’ bassist and original FACS co-founder Jonathan van Herik will now be returning to the fold in her place.) Unsurprisingly surprising as always, the listen hears the Chicago band at their most aerodynamic, oscillating around philosophical tensions of life with their arms of noisy zone outs, minimalism, and here, bolder lines that grasp the heavier elements the universe presents to us on this tiny blue dot in its ever-expanding sea of being, and ask even bigger questions.

Ahead of the band’s new leg of tour dates launching today, +rcmndedlisten spoke with Brian Case via e-mail to discuss their creative churn in this instance, how far out in space their music goes for inspiration, the current state of Chicago’s highly promising underground rock scene, and where their chronic existential crisis may lead the next time we hear from them.

+rl: The title of your newest and fourth full-length album, Still Life In Decay, strikes the ear as a juxtaposition against its sound, chronically pushing and pulling you into darker, physical matter. With so much of FACS’ previous efforts finding themselves in the depths of the void, what made this the right moment to take your sound to the next level in stepping away from that vacuum where vocals are now more focused, and its singed rhythm and groove does a strange dance in our cosmic collision?

Brian Case: We always try to shift between records, it’s usually subtle, but there’s always a song on a previous album that indicates where we’re looking. When recording this album, we knew Alianna was not going to be in the band anymore, so there was some tension that informed some of that session, but also a lot of love about our relationships and the music we were making, so it was complicated. We didn’t decide to focus on anything different, but we did mix ourselves for the first time, and we focused on the process of the songs and how we built them, we spent a lot of time on the ideas, and finding out how they related to each other as a global thing versus “Here’s the next si songs we wrote.” We’re always very considered, but this one came out a little different.

+rl: This album is heavy in the sense that it’s the sensory manifestation of everything we know of our existence turning into dust. Have you ever delved into sounds from the far out stretches of space and gravitational waves to inform your depiction of sonic universal debris?

BC: Our music is really a reflection of our relationship to each other and the place we live. Obviously there are outside influences, but we also strive to make something new, so yes, we are trying to channel waves and sonic debris at all times to offset the sound, help us find the real.

+rl: Less existentially, the Chicago scene is arguably producing some of the most interesting abstract art rock at this very moment. FACS and recent Sub Pop signees Deeper rep its more seasoned artists and then there’s bands like Horsegirl and Lifeguard (which features Brian’s son, bassist Asher Case) bringing a new generation of ears into what’s happening in the Windy City. What do you think it is about Chicago that’s making it such an inspired community of musicians who are reworking the rules of what rock music can be?

BC: Chicago is still somewhat affordable, that’s a huge part of it. People can actually live here, make good money at a part time job, and make art. We have some of the best galleries in the world, affordable studios, and a non-competitive creative community that crosses genres and practice. That’s why the best in any genre of music is coming out of Chicago – support and space to try things out and collaborate. And Rainbo Club.

+rl: Now that you’ve creatively gone deep on what it is to erode into nothing, are there any concepts of being you’ve already thought to start exploring in FACS’ next life?

BC: We’re about half way into the next album, I’m really excited about it. I’m playing more with chord ideas and arpeggiation, and Jonathan is writing with us again, so it’s got a new rhythm and sense of melody. I hope it continues to be as surprising as it’s been so far. Lyrically it feels like it’s from a different perspective, but it’s the same basic existential crisis through a cave man POV.

May Tour Dates:

FACS’ Still Life In Decay is available now on Trouble In Mind Records.