Music:
Member Since: 03/01/2007
Band Members: Brian Porter
Matt Johnson
Patrick Gough
Influences: "I think I put a slide tube under the thickest string between the two pickups and the lid of a tin can through the strings around the third fret and hit the string with a metal barbecue skewer and bent the note and then hit the tin lid twice with the skewer. It's a bit hard to explain in words; if I read this, I wouldn't understand either." -- Andy Moor of the Dog Faced Hermans describing his guitar work on "Jan 9".
Sounds Like: Press
"Okay, [Imperial China and Caverns] are from the DC area. But I caught them at the Aural States Fest this past weekend and they seem like they're about to be brought into the Baltimore fold very soon. These bands are comers. Both bands sort of remind me of everything I like about Battles, with a hint of that DC earnest intensity (yeah, yeah, I know) and with a touch of that SST attitude (in the case of Imperial China) and a piano (in the case of Caverns) thrown in for good measure." - Baltimore blog Mobtown Shank on their best records of 2008. February 2009.
"Imperial China, a trio from DC, carry on the city's long and proud legacy of slashing, experimental post-punk that's equally brainy and ballsy. They create fierce grooves, turn on a dime, throw some weird electronic flourishes in for good measure, and shimmy about on stage like they took dancing lessons from Guy Picciotto." - Philadelphia Weekly, January 7, 2009.
A review of our Black Cat show in Brightest Young Things , September 2008.
3 Stars Interview in The DCist , August 2008.
Interview in Delusions of Adequacy , August 2008.
"Imperial China are not your average rock band. They are the Rachmaninoff of the experimental rock world. Nothing seems too difficult for them to play and the band’s level of spontaneity is humungous. The band has a method of playing and interacting with each other on a recording that is completely original and imaginative." - Absolute Punk , August 2008.
Bound Stems and Imperial China interview each other for Instrumental Analysis , July 2008.
"It would [be a mistake to think] that Imperial China is a straight-up rehash of its musical forebears... From a dynamics perspective, the three instruments constantly change allegiances, occasionally veering off in three different directions at once. But the end result is always cohesive—and, more importantly, contemporary." - Washington City Paper , July 2008.
"Wiry rhythms and slashing squibs of squall quickly identify Washington, DC's Imperial China as heir to the area's rich post-punk past... The four-song debut clocks in at almost 25 minutes and is highlighted by There Is No Translation, which shoehorns midwestern guitar rumble into a mathematical sonic equation." - Alternative Press, August 2008.
"Angst-filled and loud, yet smartly executed... [the songs] are layered thick with weaving progressions, key changes, and about-face rhythms. It all adds up to a complete and fulfilling experience, one that that rarely comes with an EP." - Mish Mash Music Reviews , July 2008.
"The coordination and ease of Methods goes down like honey, and between the four tracks and their sequencing of gold and spice, these 24 minutes immediately get into a comfortably striking groove... Methods is exactly why 'post-' genres are as good as they are." - Aural States , July 2008.
"Opening track There is No Translation from DC-based Imperial China is a blistering slab of post-punk that will leave you guessing. From the time changes to the intermittent bursts of vocals, the song is a winner. The rest of this four-track EP is no different. Radhus has an electronic undercurrent with some great percussion, while Sirens is a fragmented extended jam mashed up against the hazy and peculiar Space Anthem. All in all, a fine debut. - Delusions of Adequacy , June 2008
"There Is No Translation [is] a brutal slab of post-punk malaise... crushing guitars and siren-like keyboards wail over a jagged backbeat." - Washington City Paper , May 2008.
"The three-man experimental rock group has a fast-paced and surprisingly full sound, and traditional instruments are peppered with a healthy amount of electronic topping." - Washington Post Express , April 2008.
"Prior to leaving DC, I was going post the top 10 things I'll miss about the music scene. Ranking on that nonexistent list was seeing Imperial China perform RÃ¥dhus." - DC Rock Club , April 2008.
Record Label: looking for one
Type of Label: Indie
