Film School lightens up on its new, fizzy ‘Fission’

Kevin Bronson on October 20th, 2010

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Three years into his residence in Los Angeles and nearly a decade as the driving force behind San Francisco-born shoegazers Film School, Greg Bertens faced a career turning point as he set about making the band’s fourth album.

“Things changed, from the lineup to separating from [the label] Beggars Banquet,” Bertens says. “I felt a lot of freedom, and the ability to experiment. I also I felt like I wanted to open up the songwriting a little bit, involve the whole band, and I found it inspiring.”

The results, “Fission” (released in late August via Hi Speed Soul), finds Film School gazing skyward more often than at their shoes. The thicket of guitar textures that gave their early albums an air of art-rock foreboding has been pruned, bringing gossamer melodies and electronic beats to surface. And with bassist Lorelei Plotczyk’s vocals prominently featured, “Fission” is more latter-period Lush and Asobi Seksu than vintage My Bloody Valentine.

“I’m sure people are going to hear this and say, ”˜Wow, this isn’t ‘Hideout,’” Bertens says. “But it doesn’t really sound like a different band. People have told me that it sounds like a progression, and that’s nice to hear.

“I’m not at the holy mountain of shoegaze praying to My Bloody Valentine every night. After I was done touring on the last album, I felt like writing more beat-driven music.”

Bertens’ turning point, ironically, was one of MBV’s reunion shows.

“I went to that show trying to find inspiration and instead I left thinking I was tired of that scene. I felt nothing,” he says. “It confirmed for me some feelings that had been boiling under.”

“Fission” also found some inspiration in L.A. itself– in fact, he says, he’s still bewildered to see Film School referred to as a San Francisco band. “How long does it take to earn an L.A. badge?” he says with a laugh. “But seriously, I think the neighborhood influenced the sound of this album. All the Eastside bands definitely had an influence.”

Even after “Fission” was completed, the changes kept coming for Film School. Guitarist Dave Dupuis departed to concentrate on his own project, Nightmare Air, so the band is touring as a quartet, with Bertens, Plotczyk, Jason Ruck and ex-Swirlies drummer Ken Bernard.

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