This week in Freak Scene, Graham Rowe switches from Cheer Captain to Drag the Lake to mark the 30th anniversary of the Quake soundtrack, and Kimaya Diggs is back with a new single.

When the video game Quake came out in 1996, the three-dimensional physics of game play and multi-player options were considered groundbreaking. So was the soundtrack.

The plot of Quake is that a glitch in teleportation experiments has opened “slipgates,” portals through which a hostile alien force has invaded Earth. You, the player, are a soldier assigned to find and destroy the source of the invasion. Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails took that already creepy premise to the next level with sounds that were sinister and unsettling, prompting the website GameSpot to call their work “the best soundtrack ever created for a computer game.”

Graham Rowe was aiming for a similar vibe on Black Blood + Bile, the Cheer Captain musician’s new project as Drag the Lake. Drag the Lake’s eight-track effort pays homage to Nine Inch Nails’ Quake soundtrack as it turns 30, but it’s a tribute in spirit and not a literal recreation of Reznor’s music.

Drag the LakeBlack Blood + Bile

With a heavy, industrial sound that emphasizes instrumental textures, Black Blood + Bile is a pronounced departure from Cheer Captain’s irreverent bedroom pop. Rowe talks about their different direction in this (lightly edited) Q&A:

What's your history with Quake? Were you into the original game, or the "enhanced" version released in 2021? Or both?

My parents bought a Gateway Pentium 166 when I was going into eighth grade and I bought an issue of PC Gamer magazine back when they used to have the CD-ROM of demos. My first issue had the Quake shareware included and I played it to death. I ended up talking my mom into ordering the full game direct from id Software and they mailed it to me for release.

Quake was definitely my entry to a lot of teenage interests: it was my first exposure to Nine Inch Nails and searching for levels and proto-memes/fan community was what got me onto the internet in the first place. I tried (unsuccessfully) to make my own levels but that has never been my particular creative outlet.

The 2021 rerelease from Nightdive Studios is quite good, though! I have it on Switch and it’s my go-to version of the game. The one I played while I was making this.

This is not a track-for-track recreation. Describe your approach to making Black Blood + Bile.

I made up a fake Quake episode in my head. My Quake episode moves just like the ones from the game: it opens in a military facility in the future and the anonymous soldier enters a slipgate to an evil dimension (“Violation”). He arrives at castle and journeys down into its bowels where he finds the torture chamber (“The Scavenger’s Daughter”). “Divide by Zero” and “Decimation” were levels of technology bleeding into this hell world. By the end, he enters a satanic church or some kind of Warhammer-y cathedral. It’s a loose plot but it gave the songs some structure.

The opening “Bile” is supposed to be very close to the Quake theme. I matched Reznor’s song exactly: 3/4 time and 107 beats per minute. I also had a screaming guitar solo at one point that was sounding very cool but wasn’t appropriate at all so I cut it. The restraint of the album is what really took the most work.

Trent Reznor at the time said the Quake soundtrack isn't music so much as textures and ambiences. How much of that sentiment guided you?

It was, and probably my main tension making it was every time I drifted away from that goal. I saw Nine Inch Nails earlier this year and the Nine Inch Noize segment / album just really excited me so I wanted to incorporate some of its beats, which really doesn’t align with the original soundtrack. The first two songs I made, “Violation” and “The Scavenger’s Daughter,” try to hew as close to the original as I could.

Drag the LakeThe Scavenger's Daughter

I also know Trent is a huge Coil fan and apparently was heavily influenced by [the English industrial band’s 1987 album] Gold Is the Metal (With the Broadest Shoulders) when he made Quake so I listened to that one a bunch as well.

The song “Impulse 9” was added late because I thought it needed more Quake ambiance and less melody. “Impulse9” is actually the cheat code console command in the game for unlimited ammo and all guns.

How long did it take?

Longer than I expected! This was a two- to three-month process. Most of the songs came together very quickly but then I would just tweak them for weeks. I was really grateful to have an anniversary date to work toward for release because otherwise I’d still be messing with it.

Have you played Quake while listening to Black Blood + Bile? How was it?

Not since it was finished! I played it a lot while I was making it because I wanted to see if it matched the vibe. I was thinking it would be fun to stream the game with a custom soundtrack but I don’t really have the setup for that. Maybe for the 31st birthday.

Kimaya Diggs Is ‘Perfect’ on New Single

Easthampton singer Kimaya Diggs takes self-acceptance to its logical endpoint on her new song, “I Know That I’m Perfect.” It’s the first single from from Diggs’ forthcoming third album, Green.

“I Know That I’m Perfect” is a soulful pop song that opens with glimmers of organ, a bouncing bassline and her strong, clear voice. When she reaches the chorus, a raucous electric guitar and vocal distortion effect add a sense of turbulence that contrasts with the serenity she projects on the verses.

Kimaya DiggsI know that I'm perfect

The song features Diggs lead vocals and keys, her co-producer (and husband) Jacob Rosazza on guitar, keys and backing vocals, Rhees Williams on bass and Dr. Dog's Eric Slick on drums (he also worked with Ciarra Fragale on her album last year).

Green is due Oct. 2, and Diggs performs Oct. 10 at the Academy of Music (tickets).

Upcoming Concerts

There's a lot happening locally over the next week, and the biggest event is Porch Fest in Shelburne Falls on Sunday. It's free, of course, and artists performing include Erin Morse, Jazz Chemists, Joey Derailleur, One Part Luck, Spiraled, Harry Remer, Unagi, the Frost Heaves & Hales, Couchboy and tons more. Here’s the full schedule.

The Fawns and Ruby Vine play a free show Sunday, July 12, from 6-8 p.m. at Progression Brewing in Northampton.

Tim Eriksen performs Wednesday, July 15, at the Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum in Hadley as part of a “USA 250” picnic show (information). I recently talked to Eriksen for this Boston Globe story about New England-specific music.

Late on this one, but Summer on Strong in Northampton continues tonight, Friday, July 10, with Infinite Sun. Robby Roiter Trio play July 11, the AMCO Quartet July 12, Ryan Hollander July 16, Jakebuddy Band July 17, the Wolves July 18, Green Street Trio July 19, Matthew Thornton July 23, Beau Sasser Trio July 24, Sunny D and the Tangy Originals July 25, Ben Sun Ho July 26, Reedy July 30 and Joe Belmont Trio July 31. Shows are free; more information here.

More free shows! The Bands on Brewster Thursday schedule features King Radio and Simple Friend July 16, Floyd Mercantile featuring Peter Mulvey and Jenna Nichols July 23, Stoner Will and the Marks and Original Cowards July 30, the Fawns and Gentle Hen Aug. 6, Indë Aug. 13, Christa Joy and the Honeybees Aug. 20 and the Lonesome Brothers Aug. 27. Shows take place between Northampton Brewery and the E.J. Gare Parking Garage behind Thorne's. More information.

Henning Ohlenbusch plays a free solo show July 22 at 6 p.m. in Angel Park in Williamsburg.

Colrain rapper Unagi heads up an old school-meets-new school hip-hop show Aug. 8 at the Rendezvous in Turners Falls, with Dome Lettuce, DJ Toro Bravo, Soma79, Ricci Rock and Trinker. There's a $5 cover for that one, which starts at 9:30 p.m.

The Iron Horse hosts Seth Glier & Antje Duvekot Sept. 19 (tickets), Maria Muldaur with Bruce Katz Oct. 7 (tickets), Margo Cilker and Lilly Hiatt Oct. 9 (tickets), Coco Montoya Oct. 26 (tickets) and Socks in the Frying Pan Dec. 7 (tickets).

New Constellations play Nov. 6 at the Drake in Amherst with Vox Rea (tickets).

The full concert calendar is available here for paid subscribers.

That’s it for this week. Thank you for reading! Previous issues are available in the online archive. Freak Scene is free, but donations help make this happen and are gratefully accepted. If you’re able, please consider a paid subscription!

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