LONDON, UK (www.theaxeeffect.com) - In an age when competition is extraordinarily fierce for young rock bands to bring attention to themselves and achieve desirable promotion, bands are more frequently being forced to look 'outside the box' for early recognition. The
Internet became the initial tool for immediate promotion, and through various networking schemes, new acts were becoming involved with video game soundtracks, radio promotions, and relentless local touring. Television can now be added to the list of promotional possibilities, as Britain's REACTOR are quickly making a name for themselves by supplying the music to a rather memorable television commercial for the new AXE Deodorant Body Spray (www.theaxeeffect.com) which airs nationwide on Spike TV. The music is also featured on the website's news page.
Making waves in a similar method to Andrew WK's origins (who was launched via Expedia.com and Kit Kat commercials) is all part of REACTOR's plan for growth. The band was entered into a painstaking process of elimination that began with nearly 1,000 artists which was whittled down over the course of 8 weeks. REACTOR was eventually chosen for their originality and dramatic flair to be the 'spokes-band' for Axe's debut multi-million dollar worldwide advertising campaign.
Multi-instrumentalist & vocalist David O'Brien addresses the excitement, "The commercial is a great opportunity for us, as it exposes millions of people to our music each day, and we're really looking to take advantage of this! It's an interesting time, as record companies are finding it more difficult to sell records, and we concluded from this that you have to come up with new tactics to survive in this new culture. We're creating a number of 'guerrilla tactics' to promote ourselves, and we are utilizing our efforts to drive as many people to our website, as that is our hub of commerce."
The song, "Feeling The Love" is also the first single from the band's forthcoming debut effort, expected to be released in Spring 2005. The quartet recorded the bulk of the album on a studio barge on River Thames, owned by a friend of the band's who is currently directing a new movie, entitled The Pirates, starring Beth Winslet (Kate Winslet's younger sibling). This is also near the barge studio Pink Floyd's David Gilmour owns. There was a slight embarrassment at one point when the band had to borrow money from the producer to fill up the electricity meter, so they could keep recording!
All drum tracks were recorded at The Chapel Studio in Lincolnshire, the studio of choice to fellow UK rockers The Darkness. REACTOR also utilized the production guidance of Kit Woolven (known for his work with Thin Lizzy, Cradle of Filth, and the aforementioned Gilmour), though the band is also becoming recognized for the modern 'cottage industry' they've created. O'Brien explains, "We have to do a lot of stuff ourselves. We're all studio musicians as regular work, so materials are readily available. We also learned to and built our own website. The only major tour we have completed to date was with REEF [fellow countrymen, who incidentally broke out through an ad for the Sony Minidisc player], as we've been concentrating our efforts and resources to record the album and work out a distribution deal."
A diverse effort, as evidenced by the soundclips currently available at www.reactorsite.com, REACTOR is more than a band with a catchy single. The quartet is a unification of diversity, with each member a multi-instrumentalist influenced by musical styles that span the globe. It's a rich, emotional and rocking album; very full of flavor, yet balanced with a accent on 'fun'. O'Brien continues, "It's quite useful for everyone to be so versatile, as we can each have a go with every instrument and come up with new ideas. I sing, play keyboards, Indian flute and various flutes & whistles. I also do a lot of throat singing, derived from India & Mongolia. Additionally, I do a lot of music work on MAC & PC computers, writing computer programs designed to write music on their own. I build all kinds of odd machines that make music and make electronic music sound less electronic & more organic - humanized."
REACTOR's musicianship and unyielding work ethic has already seized the attention of Fay Woolven at In Phase Management, renowned for her work with the sonic hell raisers Cradle Of Filth, who quickly took the band under her wing. "Reactor are extremely talented songwriters and musicians. They have all studied music at college and are passionate about it," she attests, "There is too much 'manufactured' music out there, especially in the UK, and it feels good to give real musicians a chance to break through."
O'Brien comments on the seemingly unconventional pairing with, "Being known for working with Cradle of Filth was not a deterrent for us; we were actually pleased, as we know she will not be easily shocked."
With a strong marketing campaign currently underway, label support is sure to commence very soon.
