The Voidz (original) (raw)

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American rock band

The Voidz
The Voidz performing in 2014The Voidz performing in 2014
Background information
Also known as Julian Casablancas + The Voidz (2013–2017)
Genres Experimental rock[1] new wave[2][3] neo-psychedelia[2] garage rock[3] electronica[4]
Years active 2013–present
Labels CultRCATerrible
Spinoff of The Strokes
Members Julian CasablancasJeramy GritterAmir YaghmaiJacob BercoviciAlex CarapetisJeff Kite
Website thevoidz.com

The Voidz (formerly Julian Casablancas + The Voidz) are an experimental rock band. They consist of Julian Casablancas (vocals), Jeramy "Beardo" Gritter (guitar), Amir Yaghmai (guitar), Jacob "Jake" Bercovici (bass, synthesizers), Alex Carapetis (drums), and Jeff Kite (keyboards).[5][6]

Tyranny, their debut album, reached 50th in NME's Top 50 Albums of 2014 list.

Formation, Tyranny (2013–2016)

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Jeff Kite, Alex Carapetis and Jake Bercovici had all worked with Casablancas previously. Kite and Carapetis appeared as part of the Sick Six live band (which also featured Danielle Haim), that backed Casablancas when touring his first solo album, Phrazes for the Young. Kite and Carapetis, along with Bercovici, also worked on "I Like the Night", a song Casablancas recorded as part of an advertising campaign he fronted for the French fashion label, Azzaro.

Casablancas enjoyed working with the band and chose to collaborate with other musicians, in a similar format to the Sick Six, when recording his next album. Casablancas, Carapetis, Bercovici, and Kite, along with mutual friends Jeramy Gritter and Amir Yaghmai formed The Voidz and began writing music together.[5][6]

Then known as Julian Casablancas + The Voidz, the band signed to Casablancas' record label, Cult, and following a appearance at SXSW Festival, undertook an international tour between 2014 and 2015, including U.S. Lollapallooza and festivals in Chile, Brazil and Argentina.[7] The band's debut album, Tyranny, was released on September 23, 2014.[8] The band's live sets generally consist of a mix between Casablancas' earlier solo songs, covers of Strokes songs written solely by Casablancas, collaborations with artists (such as Daft Punk's "Instant Crush" and Sparklehorse & Danger Mouse's "Little Girl") as well as their own original material from Tyranny and Virtue.

With The Voidz' Jeramy "Beardo" Gritter (formerly of Whitestarr) at Lollapalooza Chile, 2014

Their album Virtue was released in 2018, on Cult Records via RCA.[9]

Singles and Like All Before You (2019–present)

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In 2019, The Voidz collaborated with Mac DeMarco who produced two songs, “Did My Best” and “The Eternal Tao” later released as a single on Terrible Records.[10] In December 2020, they released the single "Alien Crime Lord" to promote the Cayo Perico Heist update of Grand Theft Auto Online.[11] In 2021, a reworked version of "The Eternal Tao" called "The Eternal Tao 2.0" was released, with an extended outro containing lyrics similar to the Strokes song "The Adults Are Talking".

On May 12, 2023, The Voidz featured in Daft Punk's song "Infinity Repeating (2013 Demo)," which was included in their 10th anniversary edition of Random Access Memories.[12] Two weeks later, on May 26, they released the single "Prophecy of the Dragon."[13] The following single "Flexorcist" was released in October that year.[14] They released the single "All The Same" on February 21, 2024, which was previously a demo that they had performed live since 2020.[15]

On July 4, 2024, the Voidz revealed the title of their third album Like All Before You, to be released in September 2024. A trailer for the album was released on YouTube, alongside "Overture", an instrumental single from the album.

  1. ^ ""Who Cares If Rock Is No Longer What It Was?" An Interview with Julian Casablancas". Noisey. October 19, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Berman, Stuart. "The Voidz – Virtue Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Weiss, Jeff. "'The essence of life is kind of a nostalgia anticipation sandwich': Philosophy 101 with Julian Casablancas". Washington Post. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  4. ^ Patterson, Adreon (January 23, 2018). "Listen to The Voidz's First New Single in Nearly Four Years, "Leave It in My Dreams"". Paste. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Gibsone, Harriet (March 26, 2014). "Julian Casablancas shares details of his new album with band the Voidz | Music". theguardian.com. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  6. ^ a b ""Can I VHS you?" - Julian Casablancas+The Voidz interview". YouTube. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  7. ^ "Julian Casablancas+The Voidz". Juliancasablancas.com. Archived from the original on June 5, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  8. ^ Nick Murray (June 23, 2014). "Julian Casablancas and the Voidz Plan New Album 'Tyranny'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  9. ^ Kaufman, Gil. "Julian Casablancas & The Voidz Announce Name Change With 1980s Horror Spoof: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  10. ^ Vozick-Levinson, Simon; Vozick-Levinson, Simon (December 13, 2019). "The Voidz' 'Did My Best' Is Vintage Casablancas". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  11. ^ Shaffer, Claire (December 15, 2020). "The Voidz Drop Robotic New Track 'Alien Crime Lord'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  12. ^ Dunworth, Liberty (May 12, 2023). "Listen to Daft Punk's previously unreleased Julian Casablancas collab 'Infinity Repeating'". NME. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  13. ^ "Julian Casablancas' Voidz Share New Song "Prophecy of the Dragon"". Pitchfork. May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  14. ^ "The Voidz Enter Spooky Season Early With Their 'Flexorcist' New Song". UPROXX. October 28, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  15. ^ Fu, Eddie (February 21, 2024). "The Voidz Experience Deja Vu on New Song "All the Same": Stream". Consequence. Retrieved May 25, 2024.