Board To Death Ep. 16 - Justin Pearson & Joey Karam (the Locust, Dead Cross, One Day As a Lion)

“It’s not musical and I like that,” says Justin Pearson.
For more than a decade Justin Pearson (Dead Cross, Retox, Head Wound City) and Joey Karam (One Day as a Lion) have attacked eardrums and melted faces with their deconstructed avant-grindcore assault as members of the Locust. We recently met up with Justin and Joey at an undisclosed Los Angeles locale to concoct some "Plague Soundscapes" of our own.
“It sounds like a frickin’ engine,” says Pearson, stacking the Bit Commander with the Schumann PLL for an extra four octaves of gut-wrenching synthesized analog mayhem. As if those two pedals aren’t gnarly enough on their own, things take a turn for the better (and weirder) when he engages the Rainbow Machine. “Put a beat to that and some vocals over it and you have a pretty sick sounding weird piece,” says Pearson. “There’s multiple albums’ worth of music just in this one effects pedal with very little technical proficiency needed.”
Using the flexible routing capabilities of his Moog Voyager, Karam patches the Bellows and Afterneath between the oscillator and filter sections of the synth, incorporating the pedals completely into the Voyager’s internal signal path as if they were modules. “I use the Mixer Out/Filter In jack which sends the mixed oscillator signal out of the Voyager, through the effects, and back in through the filter. It gives me a lot more control over the pedal…and I can control the release, or gate it if I need to, and I can use [pedals] in a more controlled way,” explains Karam.
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[@eyesintheroad]

Why is JP so bloody iconic? I feel like the guy is always telling me "I'm not that great, you can do this too, here's how". Which just ends up making him even greater.

[@vmvlev]

SWING KIDS

[@BreedersSyndicate]

He’s always been that way. He’s had a rep for being a dick when you talk to folks that don’t know him that well - but if you’re remotely even close he’s one of the most giving generous dudes ever. I was some dork and we have been friends since the late 90s. Major influence on a whole generation of punk rockers as well.

[@andychangdj]

I love how JP played a few notes on the bass and it sounded just like a Locust riff.

[@HACKERSInc]

I love the Locust so much. Sad to hear Gabe’s death. RIP Legend.

[@MissNatTheWitch]

"It's not musical and I like that" sounds like me when I'm trying to discribe the music I listen to

[@BLOOM604YVR]

Rest In Peace Gabe. The Locust was always criminally underrated, but their legacy lives on strong.

[@bozosaurus666]

The Locust and Some Girls reminds me of my high school days in 2004-2008

[@ianmuessig]

This was so enlightening and informative. People who dislike bands like the locust for example dismiss it as "noise" however so much talent, technical prowess, and deep understanding of your gear goes into creating such immense music that insight like this can really help those ignorant people understand that these guys are true professionals who place the music above all else and do infact really know what they are doing.

[@MrZombs123]

Fuck yes.

[@eyesintheroad]

their sonic pallet is just as impressive as their compositial techniques tbh. I will never be able to put into words everything i see/feel when I listen to the locust.

[@theaspiration]

Don't get me wrong here because I'm bot trying to subtract talent but what I think sets them apart isn't the technical skill, it's the willingness to be wildly adventurous and see what can be done in a space where nobody else is going. To me, that's what the Locust did that was so cool. They were psychopaths on their instruments. The music made sense and no sense at the same time and there wasn't another band that sounded remotely similar when they started. They pushed opened a door to a Doctor Seuss realm of weird, fast and spastic music. The willingness to adventure a bit took them further than pure talent did. Their talent was an ear for how to use this weird sound in a song.

[@lazerblastoid]

i like how that bass sound sounds

[@anthonybourdain2748]

the locust still one of the craziest bands ive seen live

[@EarthQuakerDevices]

One of my biggest regrets in life is not seeing the Locust when I had the chance.

[@davelanciani-dimaensionx]

I think Daughters kind of fill that void.

[@csl4159]

Dave Lanciani but they definitely don’t

[@ericmsandoval]

I saw Daughters open for The Locust and I gotta give it to The Locust

[@tylerpendley2389]

It hurt how loud they played, hurt so good San Luis Obispo and Sacramento 2005, wowwwww

[@sunnowo]

These guys are like the polar opposite of what I’d picture the members of the locust looking like

[@mijofeo]

Get the band back together. Its time for a new Locust lp. (Bummed they weren't together. Like jamming. Noise jam. No.)

[@vmvlev]

last time i saw J.P. ( some girls tour ) he told me he already written a new album but they rarely see each other these days ..

[@21Cayque12]

I come from the future with great news

[@vmvlev]

@@21Cayque12 so tell them news

[@Uchoobdood]

@@21Cayque12 how long we gotta wait!?

[@Greg-os7ye]

With who on drums?

[@gabeandhasina]

I love that San Diego musicians are so well represented in these EQD videos. I think it may be time to open up an EQD west coast office in San Diego. We're clearly a good market!

[@capitaldharma]

GH I’ve seen Goblin Cock represented. Who else from SD is showing up in EQD videos? And for which pedals?

[@gabeandhasina]

Hot Snakes and I believe Earthless showed up in an EQD vid a while back.

[@gabeandhasina]

Also, John Reis did an EQD demo at NAMM a couple years ago.

[@HACKERSInc]

Joey was on synths in One Day As A Lion?! What?! I was wondering for a long time who was on synths there and it turns out it’s the Locust’s keyboard player!

[@EarthQuakerDevices]

boom

[@bigdog517]

2024 and that album is still top tier

[@BreedersSyndicate]

Love these guys. Both legends in my punk rock world

[@devinftf]

Hahaha my favorite part is that he has a tuner.

[@s3xyn0sfera2]

God I need that synth

[@killyourfather1]

Immolate a Moog Voyager! 2:36

[@SnaFOo75]

SP1200. Nice!

[@JohnDoe-dh8xc]

Joey working on something new with a synth player?

[@MrGappi123]

Finally someone else uses the OD-20, that thing is great

[@skriptico]

bello! sembra un furgone.

[@wehateyourhate]

Cocaine and Cocaine Accessories

[@psiklops71]

The Locust is coming

[@stevenj.2453]

Acid bath?

[@capitaldharma]

Wassup Justin!

[@Jacksmusicshack]

Man i wanna have that sound for my bass... Wtffffff

[@davidreidy5750]

Oh yeah I run all sorts of pedals thru my synths...sends that noise way out🗽🛸

[@EarthQuakerDevices]

👽

[@csl4159]

Fuck yea the Locust!

[@shaneedmundson7506]

I cant find info on the BOSS Distortion modeler Justin uses? Any help friends?

[@Jamesjimjimmy]

Boss od20 😉