by Angel Park
Although their name might take a bit to make sense of, Time Hitler and the Assholes From Space, or THATAFS for short, is a band whose sound is unlike anything else coming out of Philadelphia’s growing D.I.Y scene. While the group’s affection for psychedelic rock masters such as The Brian Jonestown Massacre and Velvet Underground are evident, their tracks are still prone to hold their own, with each song mixing elements from classic rock, shoegaze, and even a little jazz, a part which the band’s talented saxophonist, Chris Parsons, is proud to take credit for on both of the band’s albums.
So how did this mixed bunch come together in the first place? The answer was simple.
“First, it was drugs,” Parson explains. “Or rather, the concept of them. Almost all of our influences, like The Stones, The Beatles, Velvet Underground, all professed a high, self-medicated lifestyle. Drugs have been a source of mind expansion for years and have been responsible for helping artists old and new create some wonderful pieces. The whole process was really thrilling for them and in a way we wanted to be a part of that as well by making our own music.”
This unusual approach aside, breaking into Philadelphia’s local music scene wasn’t quite a shoe in for the group.
“We got our start in quirky cafes and coffeehouses around our hometown for a couple years, and eventually broke into the dive bar scene.” says Parsons. “These were and still are the easiest gigs to get a hold of; most are concerned with profits from selling drinks at the bar, and generally clueless about any kind of “music scene”, but they are open and flexible.”
As for being able to fit in with the city’s music scene, most of which follow more typical genre guidelines, Parsons wasn’t worried.
“Music, art, and beer culture really seem to thrive in Philadelphia no matter what you play,” he says. “The city’s music scene might seem tough to crack at first, it just takes a bit of patience and persistence.”
In addition to their dive bar and coffee shop gigs, Time Hitler have been prominent players in the city’s underground “basement show” scene, featuring low key, social gatherings throughout several homes in the area, all for the purpose of supporting local artists.
“The most fun shows to play are definitely basements,” he adds. “The only hang-up is you have to know people. Not just anyone is gonna let you make loud chaos in their house. It’s about trust and taste. Some houses are cliquey and some are eclectic; the best advice is to go out and enjoy yourself at shows and go out of your way to meet some new friends. That’s how we got the gig for the basement show at PUHD in Lansdowne.”
Despite the fact that Time Hitler has come a long way from their early days in 2009, these guys are always willing to go out and support fellow musicians in the Philadelphia and suburban area. With that, Parsons has some parting words for the growing artists out there.
“Never pigeon-hole your band into a particular sound,” he says. “As Genesis P-Orridge of Psychic TV once said, “all music is innately psychedelic,” meaning that any music (or any experience at all) is relatively mind-manifesting because there’s always something there to provoke your thought. THATAFS was once very psychedelic and space-rocky. And while both are still dear to TH and our influences, our current sound is quite pop-based, albeit very drunk and quirky like. Your sound and taste is always growing, don’t hold it back and don’t let anyone ever tell you you’re doing it wrong.”
On that note, Time Hitler are far from assholes.
