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Intricate Unit

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Intricate Unit
Ben Koepc of Intricate Unit
Ben Koepc of Intricate Unit
Background information
OriginNew Haven, Connecticut, US
GenresIndustrial Rock
Industrial metal
Electronic music
Years active1999–present
LabelsIndependent
MembersBen Kopec
see also Live-band members
Websitehttp://www.IntricateUnit.com

Intricate Unit is the creation of Ben Kopec. Although IU has seen many live members come and go, Kopec still persists and continues to write to the present. Kopec writes the music by himself in the studio and than has members play it live. Kopec has hand crafted light boxes to be triggered live while playing to create a truly unique visual experience. IU also incorporates many live theactrics including a huge box covered in circuit boards and swinging on the venue's pipes 20 feet in the air to smashing guitars live on stage.

Intricate Unit gathers fans where ever they travel. Gaining much popularity in on-line magazines and becoming sponsored by such companies as Coffin Case have helped launch IU to higher platforms.[1]

History

Formation

After Denial and shortly after graduating high school, Kopec formed the first original line up for Intricate Unit. He incorporated a drummer, Chris Densky, and live guitarist, Jay Saucier. The trio performed many live shows and opened up for such acts as Dope, Hanzel Und Gretyl, Zeromancer, Bile, and Nocturne. This line up eventually dissolved because Densky decided to focus all his energy on this original band, Adva, and Saucier and Kopec has moral differences.[2] Densky is currently the drummer for Deadstar Assembly.

IU wasn't quiet for long and quickly recruited 2 new live members. This time, a live bassist, Roger Lockshier, known to the fans as Z, and live guitarist, Mark Turko. Kopec knew it was necessary to be open minded.[3] It was with this line up that the trio incorporated a manual light show by stepping on switches created from electrical boxes during the live performance. The showcasing of what was to be known as "the frame" was also used during live performances. This cast a huge shadow of Kopec during the intro of their set while emerging to the music of Karl Orf's Carmina Burana.

Intricate Unit's current line up consists of keyboardist, Ryan Dest, known better as DJ Nitez and live guitarist, Tom Voytek.

Deception (1999)

Ben Kopec was releasing albums in high school three years before ever playing out live. Kopec bought his first drum machine when he was 15 and first computer and sound module when he was 17. Once all the tools were in place, it took less than a year for him to compile his first EP, Deception. It is a true fact that his mother actually recorded a vocal part for the song Pensive while Kopec was writing the song still living in his parents house. The artwork on this album displays Kopec's like of the artist Leonardo da Vinci. To date, none of these songs have ever been played live.

Denial (2000)

Denial was released while Kopec was a senior in high school. This 13 track album marked the first full length release for Intricate Unit. The songs on this album are very Industrial sounding compared to his later releases that sound more like Industrial rock. This is the album that Kopec also created the tri-circle, a symbolic idea of his own representing what he recognizes as three stages of life repeating. The three stages of life are birth, life, and death, encompassed in a circle, representing that when one dies, one is just going to be reborn. This idea is consistent with reincarnation.

Prior to the Denial release, Kopec had lost all of the audio due to a computer error and had to re-record all of the audio including vocals, guitars, and sound effects This delayed the release of the album by months.

Detached (2003–2004)

Before the original line up dissolving, Densky and Saucier performed live to help promote the release of Intricate Unit's second full length album, Detached. Detached also had subsequent releases entitled, Detached (Detached). This latter album contained completely remixed and remastered songs with bonus tracks that would eventually appear on Thru-Hole. The cover of this album is a picture that Kopec edited himself of an ex-girlfriends bathroom tub after she died her hair red.

Thru-Hole (2005–2006)

Vaccination Nation was the band's first single and was released on this album. Intricate Unit used this song as leverage to eventually perform at the Gathering of the Juggalos in Ohio, where thousands of fans would be introduced to the sound of IU. After being greeting with the bottling and chucking of beer bottles, mud, fecal matter, food, and garbage, the people were won over by the end of the set.

Tours

Intricate Unit has performed with many other bands from the East Coast to the Mid-West. Despite the mud throwing, bottle whizzing, crowd screaming audiences, IU manages to recruit fans from all over the world. Going from city to city, grass roots promotion is what it takes, according to Kopec.[4] IU currently also receives radio play in over 15 states, as they expand their territory to becoming a national act. Intricate Unit has opened for such acts as Zeromancer, Insane Clown Posse, Hanzel Und Gretly, and Bile.

Discography

  • 1999: Deception [5]
  • 2000: Denial [5]
  • 2002: Detached [5]
  • 2005: Thru-Hole [5]
  • 2009: TBA

Band members

Current lineup
  • Ben Kopec – lead vocals, backup guitar (2001–present)

Music videos

  • 2004: A Try to Keep Away [6]
  • 2004: Angel Moth [6]
  • 2005: Vaccination Nation [6]

Influences

The likes of Intricate Unit have been compared to Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Static-X, Ministry, KMFDM, and Leæther Strip. Artists such as Trent Reznor and Danny Elfman have been a real inspiration to Ben Kopec. Ben Kopec is also driven by people that challenge him to rise to higher levels.[7] Other bands that have influenced the sound of IU are Skinny Puppy and White Zombie.

Sponsorships

Intricate Unit is proudly sponsored by guitar case revolutionaries, Coffin Case [8]
and Guitar Picks [9]

Music Licenses

Please visit the Ben Kopec Wikipedia page for a partial list of TV and film credits.

References

  1. ^ Intricate Unit Raw, Pure Volume, 2007-11-17, retrieved 2009-02-02 {{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ Space Junkies Interview with Intricate Unit, Space Junkies, 2005-02-06, retrieved 2009-02-02 {{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ PLAY magazine Interview with Intricate Unit, PLAY magazine, 2005-05-06, retrieved 2009-02-02 {{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ Talent Search, Talent Search, 2007-11-17, retrieved 2009-02-02 {{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ a b c d Intricate Unit Info, Sonicbids, 2007-11-17, retrieved 2009-02-02 {{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ a b c YouTube Videos, YouTube, 2008-11-17, retrieved 2009-02-02 {{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ Interview with Ben Kopec of Intricate Unit, Indie4Life, 2007-11-11, retrieved 2009-01-27 {{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ More Coffin Case Bands, Coffin Case, 2007-11-17, retrieved 2009-02-02 {{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ More Guitar Picks Bands, Guitar Picks, 2007-10-05, retrieved 2009-02-06 {{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
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