Detroit Illharmonic Symphony presents "Who Loves You", a highlight track from their new album "Everything Is Shattered". A deliberate exercise in contrast, this single blends a catchy, classic pop sensibility with a "mean and nasty" performance, capturing the energy of fun rock and roll while maintaining a gritty, powerful edge that pushes against its own sweet melodies.
The music video itself serves as a stylistic laboratory, bridging the gap between the band's musical and cinematic projects. Featured in the bold 2025 animated motion picture "I’d Rather Be Turned Into Cat Food". Written and directed by Walter Santucci and produced by Evil Cat Land (whose pedigree includes animation for MTV, Nickelodeon, ABC, Disney, Ice T, Margaret Cho, Cedric the Entertainer and Monty Python's Graham Chapman), this film does to cinema what punk rock did to music.
Not based in the Motor City, but Los Angeles, Detroit Illharmonic Symphony's core members are Cool Walt (bass, cello, guitar, piano), Raga Roni (samples, drum programming, turntables), Malyque Smith (rapping and turntables), Cecilia Suhr (violin, cello, piano) and Lukecage (piano, saxophone, drums). For this album, the band teamed up with southern California punk pioneers Jack Grisham (TSOL) and Keith Morris (Circle Jerks, Black Flag), among other guests.
"At its core musically, “Who Loves You” is total rock and roll nonsense. Fun, melodic punk with words that SEEM to have deep meaning but actually don’t. And that’s the message: a deliberate F.U. to being normal. I wanted it to be catchy and have a classic pop feel to it, but I also wanted the band to play it mean and nasty; to have the performance contrast with the melody and create a really powerful record," says Cool Walt.
"The music video came about during the production of our feature film 'I’d Rather Be Turned Into Cat Food". We were experimenting with animation styles, trying to find the right one for the movie, and decided to test some ideas out by making a video. We’d just finished recording “Who Loves You” and decided to try out the “Cat Food” ideas in it, most notably the rapidly changing faces of the main character and the sketchy, rough line style."
It would be an understatement to say that the 'Everything Is Shattered' album is an ambitious project. Fusing elements of punk, indie rock, classical music, hip hop and soul, these are 14 tracks loaded with punk attitude, cinematic soundscapes, and hip hop swagger. This record is released by California's legendary Geza X Records, founded by the legendary producer Geza X, the sonic architect of West Coast punk, and engineer of seminal music by punk royalty—Dead Kennedys, The Germs, Black Flag, The Avengers, Redd Kross and The Weirdos.
Along with artists Tony Nittoli, Kristina Wong and John Andrews, best known for his work with MTV and for producing Beavis and Butthead, the film "I’d Rather Be Turned Into Cat Food" also features Jack Grisham and Keith Morris , who contributes vocals on “If You Cooperate”, a psychedelic surf-punk fever dream meets spaghetti-western soundtrack, with Cecilia Suhr on violin).
The lead track "Everything Is Shattered" sees Jack Grisham (from TSOL) joined by vocalist Max Galbreath (ttwopercentmilk). Produced and recorded by Paul Roessler (The Screamers, Nina Hagen, 45 Grave) at Kitten Robot Studios, this high-energy cinematic post-punk anthem has Bond-theme intensity. The accompanying video has toured the world, featured on the PBS television show "Music California" and has won four awards, most recently at the Los Angeles Animation Festival.
Presenting a wild mashup of punk, indie rock, hip hop, and cinematic chaos, this album brings to life fantasies of TSOL jamming with the Beastie Boys in a Quentin Tarantino movie. It's rich diversity is worth exploring. "You Have One Minute to Disperse" and “She’s Never Gonna Love Me” both features Malyque Smith on vocals. Diana Lynn appears on "Doo Doo On A Stick", where 70s soul merges with Sesame Street groove, while "Welcome to Fear City" — with Venetia Phillips on trumpet — paints hip-hop with a shade of 60s movie soundtrack cool.
Since 2001, Detroit Illharmonic has released nine albums and scores for several film and television projects. With an exciting and unique mix of symphonic instruments, samples, turntables and the involvement of various vocalists, their work has been featured at Brooklyn Academy of Music, REDCAT (LA), University of Chicago, Royce Hall (UCLA), University of Notre Dame, Cinema Detroit, and American Cinematheque. In 2014, the video for their song "It's a Lovely Day" toured with the 50th anniversary re-release of The Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night", screening in 20 cities across the USA. Many of their music videos have screened in cinemas internationally and have won multiple awards.
The 'Everything Is Shattered' album is out now, available everywhere digitally, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. The title track single is also being released on 7" limited edition translucent blue vinyl record with the same cover art as the album!
CREDITS
Written by Walter Santucci (Tracks 3-8, 10-11, 13); Jack Grisham & Walter Santucci (Track 1); Walter Santucci & Malyque Smith (Tracks 9, 12); Walter Santucci & Cecilia Suhr (Track 2)
Raga Roni - drums & drum programming
Cool Walt - bass, guitar, cello, piano
Max Galbreath - vocals on "Everything Is Shattered"
Jack Grisham - vocals on "Everything Is Shattered"
Keith Morris - vocals on "If You Cooperate"
Cecilia Suhr - violin on "If You Cooperate"
Venetia Phillips - trumpet "Welcome to Fear City"
Malyque Smith - vocals on "You Have One Minute to Disperse" & “She’s Never Gonna Love Me”
Diana Lynn - vocals “Doo Doo On A Stick”
Produced by Raga Roni, except "Everything Is Shattered' produced by Paul Roessler
Recorded by Donny Baker at ES Audio, Raga Roni at Evil Cat Land,
and "Everything Is Shattered' recorded by Paul Roessler at Kitten Robot Studios
Album released by Geza X Records
Published by Andthereitisthere / BMI (Jack Grisham) & Geza Music / BMI (Walter Santucci & Cecilia Suhr), ASCAP / Beats and Bluntz Publishing (Malyque Smith )
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
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