I Love You is a recording act fronted by Justin Randel that is based in Brooklyn, New York. Formed in 2004 as a trio, the project used various names until late in that year when Yah Tibyah La Blu (a slightly bastardized translation of "I Love You" in Russian) became "official."Tobias, Jeff (November 20, 2009). "A Band From a City That Doesn't Care" . Flagpole Magazine. For practical reasons, the group began using the English phrase by the release of their first recordings.
In 2006, bassist Kevin Kesterson departed, making a duo of the group. Then in 2008, drummer Jeffrey Schlette parted ways with I Love You, making Randel the sole member. In 2009, video artist Charlie Mylie joined up with Randel, throwing psychedelic visuals into the mix during live performances. During October of that year the duo released their first recording for Indianapolis, Indiana's Joyful Noise Recordings, Bell Ord Forrest.Hofstetter, Karl. (October 27, 2009). "I Love You's "Bell Ord Forrest" Out Now!" . Joyful Noise Recordings.
In 2008, I Love You became a solo act again. According to his MySpace page, frontman Justin Randel released Feeling Bad To Feel Better in October 2011 on CD and cassette.Yah Tibyah La Blu MySpace.com. In 2014, after previous member Jeffrey Schlette died, Justin Randel changed his moniker to Reaches.
Reception Jason Harper in The Pitch called the band "promising" as it "thrashes about in the secret playroom between punk and indie rock, ... crafting paradoxically sloppy and intricate experimental pop." Harper continued, "Randel's polyrhythmic guitar loops distract the listener while Schlette gradually builds a hip-jerking beat that climaxes in frantic, shouted vocals and disco-ball-slicing riffs. It's crazy danceable, but only if you're crazy."Harper, Jason. (June 26, 2008). . The Pitch.
Gabriel Keehn of Tiny Mix Tapes wrote, "the sense of legitimate, fresh tinkering-for-the-sake-of-tinkering and corner-of-the-sandbox fun here is genuine, but this has surely been done before, and it's been done a lot better" in giving the CD Drone, Drugs and Harmony three out of five stars.Keehn, Gabriel (November 14, 2008). "I Love You - Drone, Drugs and Harmony". (review) Tiny Mix Tapes.
Simon Lewis and Stefan Ek of Terrascope wrote of Bell Ord Forrest, "Here’s the most charming music ... It’s rhythmic and polyrhythmic, it’s like Talking Heads or B52 being converted into this millenniums Now People. It’s happy and it’s inventive. It’s Party!"Lewis, Simon; Ek, Stefan (January 2010). "Rumbles - January 2010". Terrascope Online.
Discography 2006: Six Trick Pony (CD) self-release 2006: Davan/I Love You (12 inch split) self-release 2008: Drone, Drugs and Harmony (CD and tape) self-release 2009: Bell Ord Forrest (CD and tape) Joyful Noise 2011: Feeling Bad To Feel Better (CD and tape) Pecan Crazy Records 2013: Pseudodoxia (Vinyl, CD and tape) We Be Friends Records 2016: I am Alive and Well (Vinyl, CD and tape) We Be Friends Records 2019: Wherever the Internet Goes, Sorrow Follows (Vinyl, CD and tape) We Be Friends Records
References
External links
http://iloveyou.bandcamp.com/ Reaches at Reaches music blog I Love You at I Love You music blog I Love You at We Be Friends Records I Love You at Joyful Noise Recordings Reviews "Reaches' New Single" at xlr8r March 2019 "Bell Ord Forrest (review)" at Babysue October 2009. (5/5). "I Love You: Bell Ord Forrest" (Album Review) on Fensepost.com. October 26, 2009. "Bell Ord Forrest Review" on Indie Surfer blog. October 29, 2009. "MP3 @ 3PM - I Love You" on Magnet Magazine. November 19, 2009. Video/audio I Love You interview with Beijing, China's Niurenku October, 2012 Punkcast 1222: I Love You at Punkcast. November 2, 2007. "I Love You - March of the Dead + Video" on The Devil Has The Best Tuna blog. January 1, 2008. "Song of the Day - The Colloquialism Is Simply Gas by I Love You" at Present Magazine. September 28, 2009. "Joyful Noise releases Bell Ord Forrest by new signing I Love You TODAY!" on Movement News blog (Press release). October 27, 2009.