Arks
Press
"The International" - Music Spectrum
April 18, 2008
Put the Fall and Pixies together as a band. Let them play a tour of concrete stairwells; deserted, dark parking garages; and abandoned, emptied indoor swimming pools. Arks' The International captures that tour. The raucous, angular rock reverberates as if recorded surrounded by cinder block walls. Mark Berlin's engineering/production (along with Arks) makes the album echo without overpowering the band's sounds. It creates a very live, dark, haunting, challenging call to musical arms. Note: On "Safe and Sound," Paul Hornschemeier's vocals are like a cameo by Lenny Kravitz in his more darker, spoken moments.
Arks @ Darkroom (Chicago, IL) KEXP
December 6, 2007
Up next was Arks, a staple and a highlight of the Highwheel catalogue but on this occasion their performance was a swan song for a band that is splitting into new directions. It was clear that there was a tremendous amount of support in the house for Arks in their final moments at Darkroom and they delivered a show packed with every ounce of their collective energy. It was a thunderous set that seemed intended to leave an impression in the ether of rock 'n' roll shaped like Arks for the ages. Arks were honed and incisive in their attack and Paul Hornschemeier's insistent but steady voice sliced through the band's controlled frenzy with a mixture of David Byrne and Mission of Burma's Roger Miller. It was a triumphant performance for a band that had deservedly garnered a great deal of local acclaim over the years. Darkroom responded with a mixture of enthusiasm and sadness at the loss of one of the scene's best.— Mike Turner
Arks @ Trash Bar (New York, NY) - NY Press
November 16, 2007
Last night at Trash Bar, Chicago's Arks showed a small Brooklyn crowd that Chicago has a powerful up-and coming music scene. Touring in support of their new album, The International, Arks' deep, dark, driving post-punk rhythms nearly blew the walls off the small Williamsburg venue.— Jonny Leather
