News

View News from 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000

December 8 , 2006
Happy Holidays from !

Some news items - the excitement continues to build for the upcoming Machine EP, which will be released in early 2007. Don't forget that this EP also includes a new version of the classic track Cold - which happens to be one of the band's most downloaded singles.

Also, our friends at API Records are putting the finishing touches on the upcoming REMIX CD, which will be out in the first half of 2007. For those of you interested in checking out the new Funhaus album, Abandoned City, (released on API Records,) there is a really cool version of Somewhere in New York on the disc. This song is written by Patrick Bamburak and first appeared on the 2005 CD Big Top World. The Funhaus version of "Somewhere" features orchestration by Tim Keyes.

Be sure to visit 's MySpace page for the blog.

Producer James Bratton, from the 111 East Media Group, and who recently contributed remixes to the upcoming Machine EP, has had his work sampled by the trip-hop group Plan B on their new album. James Bratton's work has also been sampled by UK's electronica giants The Prodigy. James and Patrick are currently working together on production on new material destined for the next full-length album.

In honor of the 20th anniversary of in 2007, Patrick is in the process of creating a reissue/replica of the famous "Shockwave" guitar painted by the artist and guitar player John Baranowski back in 1987. 20 years ago, Patrick Bamburak and Joe Gutsick first called their band "Shockwave"- just before Robert Medvedz joined and was formed. We'll have photos of the original and the new guitar here at baitoven.com as the project progresses.

Finally, will reissue a limited run of t-shirts in 2007 that will be scanned from a never-worn, original t-shirt created by Joe Gutsick. Joe spoke to baitoven.com about the process he used to create the original t-shirt:

The t-shirt design used charicatures originally developed by Robert Medvedz. I think he later used them in his Cave Canem skate ware. Patrick's "rock star" pose is actually a hardcore pose! I used a photo from one of my hardcore 7" eps as a model - it was either the Gorilla Biscuits' eponymous 7" or Insted's We'll Make the Difference single.

The technique used to make the shirt was rather archaic, and probably killed a number of my brain cells. I used amberlyth, which is a two-ply plastic film which has a thin amber film applied to a thicker clear film. Using an x-acto knife, I cut out a negative print of the image on the amberlyth, making certain that I only cut through, and removed, the amber film (the clear film was left intact to allow for floating image areas).

Once that tedious task was complete, the negative was placed on the silk screen and transferred to the canvas using lacquer thinner. Unfortunately, the amber film didn't hold up well against repeated cleanings, so after a few prints, the screen became unusable. So when we said that the original t-shirt run was a limited pressing, we weren't exaggerating! - Newsdesk

October 9, 2006
Hi, it's Patrick here... Just a quick reminder to start this post - don't forget to visit the page at MySpace and check out the blog.

There's alot going on in right now with the upcoming release of the Machine EP. We'll be visiting our friend Eric Rachel at Trax East Studios in a few weeks for the final mastering session before the EP goes off to the pressing plant. All of the tracks that will be on the disc have come together nicely, and I'm particularly excited about the remixes that are on the EP courtesy of record producer James Bratton. This may be a rehash for some of you - but the tracklist on the EP includes Machine original and remixed versions, new/alternate versions of Cold, 74 Words, and I Cherish You,and another new track called Only You. And in typical fashion, the EP itself is a mash-up of different styles of music, so it should provide an interesting listen for our friends and fans.

I've also begun some work with our good friends Tim Keyes and Meg Poltorak at API Records, (with whom did the Music Is Freedom and Cold CD's,) on a remixes CD that we hope to have out in early 2007. This disc will feature some of our very well-known, as well as some rare tracks, remixed and regrooved - think of it as goes New Wave, where everything old is new again... In fact, the versions of Modern American Love Song and Hands of Time that were on the limited edition Music Is Freedom disc will be included on this upcoming CD with API Records. The remixes disc will be a nice addition to the list of projects we have on deck for our 20th anniversary in 2007.

I'll be back with more news soon. - Patrick

August 22 , 2006
will be releasing a CD single in the near future for the new track Machine. Remixed and produced by James Bratton, who has a long track record of successful singles in electronic/techno, dance, and R&B, the new CD single will feature a radio edit and an extended club version of the song. Also, the CD will feature bonus tracks produced by Patrick Bamburak that include: Machine (original mix), Cold (new version), Only You (new track), I Cherish You (alternate version), and 74 Words (Big Top Fusion version).

Patrick told the Newsdesk that, "the new CD single is going to be a mash-up of different styles of music. The remixes that James Bratton produced are taking the sound into entirely new places which is really cool."

are currently continuing their work in the studio on their next full-length album. Check back here at baitoven.com for the latest details on the upcoming CD single for Machine. We'll post the release date as soon as we have it. - Newsdesk

June 19, 2006
Don't forget to visit the new page at MySpace. Patrick has been keeping a blog over there - discussing, among other things, the work on the upcoming album The Deepest, Darkest Night.

For those of you interested in some of the other musical projects Patrick is involved in, the second Funhaus album, titled Abandoned City, will be released this summer on API Records. A video for the first single and title track "Abandoned City" is now available at the API Records website. A departure from the rock and punk sounds of , the music Patrick co-writes and records with Funhaus is more rooted in pop and is combined with the orchestration of producer/composer Tim Keyes. "The new Funhaus album has an acoustic feel to it, with live strings and horns. It's a very organic record," Patrick told the Newsdesk. The group's debut album Funhaus was released in 2002 on API Records, and featured the single "Leave My Tears Alone." - Newsdesk

A Message from Patrick:

There is alot of studio work going on in the world of . As you may have heard, the upcoming album is called The Deepest, Darkest Night. I fully intend for the feel of the music to live up to album's title - expect it to have a very big, but very dark sound. I've been experimenting with different keyboards lately. I want to create some lush beds of sound to lay the guitar and vocals on top of. It should be pretty cool. So everyone can get out their best black clothes and polish their skull rings for the celebration once the album is released. My guess... it will be out by the beginning of Fall 2006.

But that's not all, because while TDDN is being recorded, I am also writing a very special group of songs to mark the 20th anniversary of , which will happen in 2007. These songs will form the basis for another new album, and though I have a title in mind, I'm not going to reveal it just yet. One thing I will say about the songs is that they will be a return to the punk sound that we have on the Cold and Ugly Songs albums. Everything comes full circle.

April 25, 2006
A Message from Patrick:

There is alot of studio work going on in the world of . As you may have heard, the upcoming album is called The Deepest, Darkest Night. I fully intend for the feel of the music to live up to album's title - expect it to have a very big, but very dark sound. I've been experimenting with different keyboards lately. I want to create some lush beds of sound to lay the guitar and vocals on top of. It should be pretty cool. So everyone can get out their best black clothes and polish their skull rings for the celebration once the album is released. My guess... it will be out by the beginning of Fall 2006.

But that's not all, because while TDDN is being recorded, I am also writing a very special group of songs to mark the 20th anniversary of , which will happen in 2007. These songs will form the basis for another new album, and though I have a title in mind, I'm not going to reveal it just yet. One thing I will say about the songs is that they will be a return to the punk sound that we have on the Cold and Ugly Songs albums. Everything comes full circle.

March 10, 2006
Some quick news items...

Be sure to check out 's new web page at MySpace. Coming soon to the page at MySpace, the BLOG!

Work has begun on the next album, which will be released by summer 2006. The album will be titled The Deepest, Darkest Night. More details to follow very soon...

There is a new t-shirt which features the cover art for Big Top World - be a fashionista and buy your t-shirt here.- Newsdesk

January 12, 2006
As in past years, reflects on the year gone by...

How was 2005?

Patrick: 2005 was an incredibly busy year for me. Tons of music, tons of work, lots of travel... I'm exhausted from it all! And the pace of things for me in 2006 show no signs of slowing down so I better get used to it.  

Joe: 2005 was a pretty decent year. We joined a country club, so 2005 was golf, golf, and more golf. Although, I think a more accurate description for me would be poor golf, poor golf, and more poor golf.

Favorite album of the year?

Patrick: Even though it was released in 2003 (I think,) my album of the year is Indestructible by Rancid. In addition to the excellent music, the lyric writing on the album is really well done. Great production too. Also, I'm going to throw in a particular song that was one of my favorites of the year - "Some People" by Ringo Starr from his new album Choose Love. Ringo's last two albums have had some of his best work ever on them - songs that are so good, I could see them as Beatle tracks.

Joe: I only bought one album that was actually released in 2005, and it was Make Believe by Weezer. It wasn't one of their better efforts, so I can't list it as a favorite. No album really stands out in 2005...I listened to Rush's Chronicles and the Blue and Green Weezer albums quite a bit, so I guess they will have to do.

Favorite movie of the year?

Patrick: I can't pick a favorite movie because everything for me is on DVD or cable. I almost never go the movie theater. I'm addicted to reality shows: Inked, Meet the Barkers, Dog the Bounty Hunter, The Osbournes on DVD, Carmen and Dave on DVD, My Fair Brady, and the Surreal Life, (but I only like that one season with Jane Wiedlin and Da Brat.)

Joe: Again, I'll have to exclude Revenge of the Sith, because it is a given that I would pick that as my favorite. With that said, the hands-down absolute best movie of the year was Serenity.

Favorite book of the year?

Patrick: All of the reality TV I'm watching is affecting my attention span, so even though I still read a ton of books this year, I can't really pick out a single one as a favorite. They all just blend together. Wait, does Us Weekly count as a book, because if it does, I read 52 of them this year! I'm following the stories about Brangelina, and Nick and Jessica's breakup.

Joe: That would probably have to be Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, even though I think making Severus Snape a clear cut villain was a cop-out.

Your personal high point of 2005?

Patrick: This really isn't a high point, but instead a surreal moment. When I was walking on 57th street in New York City a few weeks ago, I literally walked right past Elvis Costello as he was coming the other direction down the sidewalk. Since so many people over the years have told me that I resembled him, (it's the glasses and our roguishness Irish looks,) I laughed when we had that fleeting moment of eye contact as we just avoided bumping into one another. I wondered if he thought to himself, "Hey, that guy looks vaguely familiar..."

Joe: Nothing really stands out at the moment.

Your personal low point of 2005?

Patrick: There's too much violence, suffering, and cynicism in the world and not enough access to education to break the cycle.

Joe:  I can't think of one at the moment.

2006, What is your New Year's resolution?

Patrick: More music and more tattoos.

Joe:   Since I didn't meet last year's resolution, I'll keep it the same this year: to break 90 on the golf course. Came close a few times, but never quite got there.