7th Level Music

Review: L7 – Scatter the Rats

Back with their first album in far too long (20 years), L7 make a much-needed and much-requested return in a time of “alternate truths,” “pink taxes,” xenophobia, and Orwellian bliss with Scatter the Rats. The name of the album is, I suspect, a call to action. The rats are everywhere and we need to make them run.

The opening guitar riff on “Burn Baby” slaps you awake and soon guitarist Donita Sparks is singing about how “…you think I’m a fraud, and I know you’re a fake, but when it’s all said and done we all burn at the stake.” It also sounds like they mix guitar chords with kazoo blasts, which is great. “Fighting the Crave” puts aside the tongue-in-cheek humor for gunslinging bass from Jennifer Garner and some of drummer Dee Plakas‘ most dangerous chops as Sparks sings about trying to resist a hot lover. It’s a track Motley Crue wishes they could’ve written.

“Proto Prototype” has co-guitarist Suzy Gardner on lead vocals, and she sounds like a were-tiger casting a 7th level conjuring spell. The song is that dangerous. “Stadium West” is currently one of my top ten singles of the year. It’s a fun, fast rocker that I can’t wait to hear live. “Murky Water Cafe” has Gardner’s vocals almost taking on a southern rock edge as she sings about a New Orleans dive bar and the weird, murky things that happened (still happen?) to her there. Also, her solo on it is sharp as a switchblade.

I’m willing to bet “Ouija Board Lies” has a great backstory. Is Sparks singing about getting turned on by a ghost? Or is she angry with the ghost about it not being what she expected? Hell, I’m not even sure it’s about a ghost at all. I do know that her riffs and Gardner’s riffs are a great one-two punch throughout the track, however. “Garbage Truck” is a tune about running into a screwed up relationship (“My love’s like a garbage truck. Get wasted and I’ll pick you up.”).

Plakas’ beats on “Holding Pattern” are a clinic on how to ground a rock song and how sometimes subtle power is best. I’m intrigued with the title of “Uppin’ the Ice.” “Hit the ground, take in the sights, all bow down ’cause we’re uppin’ the ice,” Sparks sings. It’s a call for women to get cold. Revenge is best served that way, after all. Gardner turns up the collar on her leather jacket and slips on a pair of brass knuckles on “Cool About Easy.” Don’t screw with her. She will jack you up and leave you whimpering.

The title track closes the album and has Sparks and Gardner sharing vocals about cleaning out rats, pigeons, and other vermin polluting and corrupting all of us. Their sights are set on Washington D.C., in case you weren’t aware. The dirty blues touches on the guitar solos are great, and Finch’s bass pretty much dares you to stand in front of it.

It’s great to have L7 back with not only all four original members, but also with a solid record. They are touring all over right now, so don’t miss your chance to see them.

Keep your mind open.

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Faye Webster’s “Right Side of My Neck” might be the sexiest single you’ll hear this month.

“In classic Webster style, the spring-appropriate song, titled ‘Flowers,’ effortlessly blends healthy doses of both Americana and hip-hop influence for a final product that can be summarized with two words: Atlanta excellence.” – Paste

“Faye Webster has a golden voice, projected in ‘Flowers’ through a prism of crystal-clear production.” – Consequence of Sound

“Webster’s songs can be disarmingly direct and sorrowful.” – Pitchfork

(“Rising”) “The 21-year-old singer has a natural ability to fuse indie-folk with laid-back R&B.” – Rolling Stone

Faye Webster – 21-year-old Atlanta-based singer-songwriter and decorated photographer – shares a new single, “Right Side of My Neck,” from her forthcoming album, Atlanta Millionaires Club, due May 24th via Secretly Canadian. Following previously released “Flowers,” “Room Temperature,” and “Kingston,” “Right Side of My Neck” is gorgeously built by brass and strings, and zeros in on the lingering scent and uncertainty of new love. “For me I find that sometimes the best songs come out from the exact moment,” says Webster. “This song I didn’t think about writing or what I was doing, I was fresh from a feeling and that’s when I get some of my most honest and relatable songs.“

Listen to “Right Side of My Neck”– https://youtu.be/UwHI4MMM_DI

Atlanta Millionaires Club is a genre-bending collection of songs, bringing together Webster’s feather-light vocals, intimate songwriting, and her acumen for being strikingly vulnerable and brave. Pulling from a familial lineage of folk storytelling and time spent in Atlanta’s hip-hop scene, Webster’s work is a study of duality, weaving through her own introversion and heartbreak; it’s an idiosyncratic sadness punctuated by fleeting observations and an unexpected, sly sense of humor.

“Everything is way personal. I’ve never been that kind of person who can read a book and then write a song about the book,” Webster says. “I have to write about very personal things for me to even want to write.”

Faye Webster will headline a North American tour this month. Additionally, she will appear at Bonnaroo later this summer.

Listen to “Right Side of My Neck”–
https://youtu.be/UwHI4MMM_DI

Watch the video for “Flowers” –
https://youtu.be/qq_Jm_QC4go

Watch the video for “Room Temperature” –
https://youtu.be/nMybE4Ge6hM

Watch the video for “Kingston” –
https://youtu.be/-5_tGEao_GQ

Pre-order Atlanta Millionaires Club –
https://fayewebster.ffm.to/atlantamillionairesclub

Faye Webster Tour Dates
Fri. May 24 – Manchester, UK @ Dot to Dot Festival
Sat. May 25 – Bristol, UK @ Dot to Dot Festival
Sun. May 26 – Nottingham, UK @ Dot to Dot Festival
Tue. May 28 – London, UK @ Bermondsey Social Club
Wed. May 29 – London, UK @ Bermondsey Social Club
Fri. May 31 – Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret Festival
Mon. Jun 03 – Paris, FR @ La Boule Noire
Sun. June 16 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
Tue. June 18 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Wed. June 19 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern
Fri. June 21 – Toronto, ON @ The Drake
Sat. June 22 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe
Sun. June 23 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
Mon. June 24 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott
Wed. June 26 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
Thu. June 27 – Washington, DC @ DC9
Fri. June 28 – Asheville, NC @ The Mothlight
Sat. June 29 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl

Keep your mind open.

[The subscription box is on the left side of the page, not my neck.]

Review: Spoony Bard – Old Friends

I’ll admit that it took me a couple listens to “get” spoony bard‘s newest album, Old Friends. After those first two listens, I realized there’s nothing to “get.” It’s something to experience.

spoony bard, otherwise known as David Nord, blends hip hop with jazz, ambient sounds, electro, synthwave, and even a bit of vaporwave into a mix that settles on you like incense smoke. Starting with a tip of the hat to De La Soul with “Ego Trippin’ Part 99,” bard’s rapping slides in and then back out almost before you notice it’s gone thanks to his cool beats. “Levitate Me Later” is a low-tuned funky cut that reminds me of some of Flying Lotus‘ peppier tracks.

I love the title of “Dizziness of Freedom,” and the wobbly synths in it emphasize the weird, sometimes overwhelming sense that comes with having to choose from so many damn things on the menu. The bright synths on “Extralewd 1” sound like the opening credits music of a 1970’s blaxploitation movie made in the year 2170. The phat bass on “Megalixir” is like something from a sex scene in that same movie.

You can’t help but sway to the beats of “Areia.” “Extralewd 2” brings in some nice guitar riffs to the synth-beats and time-warping bass. “Note to self, fake it ’til you make it, shake it, don’t break it,” bard raps at the beginning of “Note to Self.” Judging from the poppy, catchy beats (that almost become industrial rhythms) of the track, I think he’s done faking it. The same holds true for “Limbo,” which is full of sharp beats. The record ends with “Far Flung” – a twisting, bending synth-heavy track that is both catchy and weird at the same time.

bard has written that he titled the album “Old Friends” because he thought of a lot of old friends while making it. His friends must be some cool cats because Old Friends is a cool record.

Keep your mind open.

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Bleached’s new single, “Hard to Kill,” is among the best of the year so far.

Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? is what Jennifer Clavin asked herself when she hit a turning point in her life. It’s also the title of the new Bleached record, out July 12th via Dead Oceans, and Jessie and Jennifer Clavin’s first LP written from a place of sobriety. That newfound perspective serves as the guiding force in every corner of its sound, yielding a courageous, honest, and sonically ambitious album. Throughout, the Clavins radiate the power and bravery of facing addiction, of letting go of the past and becoming open to a radically different future of self-love, acceptance, and newfound honesty. Today, the sisters present its lead single, the defiant, yet playful “Hard to Kill” and its accompanying video, and announce a North American headline tour (all upcoming dates are listed below). Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? follows 2016’s Welcome the Worms and 2017’s “Can You Deal?” EP. The sisters began writing the album in early 2018 in a Los Angeles practice space and with friends and co-writers in Nashville. “Writing these songs while sober became somewhat of a spiritual experience,” Jennifer says. “I had to let go, trust the process, and allow an energy beyond my control to be present.” In writing and recording, Jessie handled the bulk of the instrumentation and Jennifer handled the lyrics and melodies — it was important to the Clavins that the entire record return to their dynamic as sisters.

Producer Shane Stoneback (Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells) helped open every door to experimentation, wanting to be exploratory while keeping the sound singularly Bleached. The resulting LP is explosive, grappling with the past; its twelve tracks mark some of the sisters’ most visceral, rawest songwriting to date — and some of their best. The album glimmers with inspiration found in touring with the likes of The Damned and Paramore whose arena-ready, incisively catchy pop was a palpable influence helping to push Bleached’s sound in a new realm.

This new direction is clear with “Hard To Kill” and previously released “Shitty Ballet.” As described by Jennifer, “Hard to Kill” is about “staring down the road towards death and realizing I needed to wake up and get out of my selfish patterns of self destruction.” The video, directed by another sister team, Juliana and Nicky Giraffe, depicts the Clavin sisters in defiance of the shadows of their past, utilizing their talent and wit to set themselves free into a liberated new beginning.

The exclusive Dead Oceans preorder bundle includes limited edition black/red/brown tri-colored LP (only available through this bundle), cassette, and a getaway car accessory pack with a “Valley To LA” bumper sticker, “Somebody Dial 911” air freshener and Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? metal keychain.
Watch the Video for “Hard To Kill” –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQYgcc02m5c

Pre-order Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? –
bleached.ffm.to/dontyouthink

Watch “Shitty Ballet” Video –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8pGMcSylH4

Don’t You Think You Have Enough?Tracklist
1. Heartbeat Away
2. Hard to Kill
3. Daydream
4. I Get What I Need
5. Somebody Dial 911
6. Kiss You Goodbye
7. Rebound City
8. Silly Girl
9. Valley to LA
10. Real Life
11. Awkward Phase
12. Shitty Ballet

Bleached Tour Dates:
Mon. May 20 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theater *
Tue. May 21 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant *
Wed. May 22 – Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall *
Fri. May 24 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Hall *
Sat. May 25 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Union Events Center *
Tue. May 28 – Pomona, CA @ Fox Theater *
Fri. May 29 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park *
Thu. July 11 – Los Angeles, Ca @ Moroccan Lounge
Thu. Aug. 22 – London, UK @ The Lexington
Sat. Aug. 24 – Reading, UK @ Reading Festival
Sun. Aug. 25 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival
Sat. Sept. 7 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
Mon. Sept. 9 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda
Tue. Sept. 10 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Wed. Sept. 11 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Bar
Fri. Sept. 13 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
Sat. Sept. 14 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell)
Sun. Sept. 15 – Raleigh, NC @ Motorco
Tue. Sept. 17 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
Thu. Sept. 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere
Fri. Sept. 20 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA
Sat. Sept. 21 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
Mon. Sept. 23 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
Tue. Sept. 24 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement
Wed. Sept. 25 – Nashville, TN @ Exit In
Fri. Sept. 27 – Urbana, IL @ Pygmalion Festival
Sat. Sept. 28 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Sun. Sept. 29 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Tue. Oct. 1 – Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room (Outdoors)
Thu. Oct. 3 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
Sat. Oct. 5 – Boise, ID @ The Olympic
Mon. Oct. 7 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile
Tue. Oct. 8 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
Wed. Oct. 9 – Portland, OR @ Star Theater
Fri. Oct. 11 – Oakland, CA @ New Parish

*= w/ Refused and The Hives

Keep your mind open.

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Live: Priests and Gurr – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL – April 22, 2019

I hadn’t seen Washington D.C. post-punks Priests since the 2017 Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago. They were promoting their excellent album, Nothing Feels Natural, at the time, and they put on a lively afternoon set under a bright sun. Seeing them at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall would be the first time I would see them playing tracks off their new album, The Seduction of Kansas (which is currently my favorite album of 2019), in a small club, and since one of their original bassist, Taylor Mulitz, amicably left the band to form Flasher – a good band in their own right.

Opening them were a fun band called Gurr, who hail from Germany (despite a drunk in the crowd loudly asking if they were from France or Canada). They played a loud post-PUNK that had an infectious energy you couldn’t ignore. They revealed that their touring van had been burglarized at a previous gig and all of the money they’d made on tour so far was gone, but they were still upbeat.

Priests came out with “Good Time Charlie,” one of the first singles released from The Seduction of Kansas. It was immediately evident that the new tracks take on a dangerous edge live, even with some low bass troubles for Alexandria Tyson at first (which were fixed by the sound crew by the time Priests reached the stinging “YouTube Sartre” and the defiant “Not Perceived”). Katie Greer’s vocals on “The Seduction of Kansas” were almost spooky at some points. She had us hypnotized and even a bit frightened.

Getting seduced by “The Seduction of Kansas”

A highlight was when drummer Daniele Daniele came to the front and sang lead on “68 Screen” and “I’m Clean.” She accidentally stepped on an effects pedal at one point during “I’m Clean,” cutting out some of the programmed drumming for a moment. “It’s live music, folks! You’ll never hear that version again,” Greer said before they tore into “Pink White House” from Nothing Feels Natural.

G.L. Jaguar was shredding by the time they reached “Texas Instruments” and closed with the knockout punch of “Jesus’ Son.” I walked out of Lincoln Hall with one word in mind – “dangerous.” In a small venue, with the powerful lyrics, vocals, and instrumentation behind them, seeing Priests was like being in a room with four somewhat frisky panthers prowling back and forth along the far wall. They encouraged you to play with them, but you knew they could maul you at any moment.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jim DeLuca and Jacob Daneman of Pitch Perfect PR for providing me with a press pass to the show.]

L7’s new single, “Stadium West,” is some seriously dangerous rock.

L7’s highly anticipated and long-awaited new album, Scatter the Rats, will hit us like a boot to the face on May 3rd. They’ve already announced a U.S. tour for this summer, and now they’ve released another single to make us hungrier for the full album – “Stadium West.” It’s a solid cut covered in menace and danger. You can check out the video here.

Keep your mind open.

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Ty Segall announces residencies in New York, LA, London, Paris, and more cities starting in July.

Ty Segall is pleased to announce special 2019 residencies in Los Angeles, New York City and different European cities. Joined by the Freedom Band, each night of the residency, Segall will perform select albums from his catalogue in full, including Melted, Goodbye Bread, Emotional Mugger, and Manipulator, plus a to be announced set.

Segall will bring his fervent live show to the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles every Friday from July 26 – September 27. The first 500 people to purchase 3 or more tickets to different LA shows will receive a limited 7” of new, unreleased music. Next, he will play five consecutive nights at New York’s Warsaw October 1 – October 5. The first 500 people who buy 3 or more tickets to different NYC shows will get an exclusive, limited poster created and signed by Segall in New York. Following New York, Segall and the Freedom Band will head overseas to play Paris, London, Berlin and Haarlem, NL.

Ty Segall & Freedom Band Tour Dates: Fri. July 26 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays ??? + Melted) Fri Aug. 2 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays ??? + Melted) Fri. Aug. 9 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays ??? + Melted) Fri. Aug. 16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays ??? + Goodbye Bread) Fri. Aug. 23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays ??? + Goodbye Bread) Fri. Aug. 30 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays ??? + Emotional Mugger) Fri. Sept. 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays ??? + Emotional Mugger) Fri. Sept. 13 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays ??? + Manipulator) Fri. Sept. 20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays ??? + Manipulator) Fri. Sept. 27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom (Ty Segall plays ??? + Manipulator) Tues. Oct. 1 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (Ty Segall plays ??? + Melted) Wed. Oct. 2 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (Ty Segall plays ??? + Melted) Thurs. Oct. 3 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (Ty Segall plays ??? + Goodbye Bread) Fri. Oct. 4 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (Ty Segall plays ??? + Emotional Mugger) Sat. Oct. 5 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw (Ty Segall plays ??? + Manipulator) Wed. Oct. 9 – Paris, FR @ La Cigale (Ty Segall plays ??? + Melted) Thu. Oct. 10 – Paris, FR @ La Cigale (Ty Segall plays ??? + Manipulator) Fri. Oct. 11 – London, UK @ Oval Space (Ty Segall plays ??? + Melted) Sat. Oct. 12 – London, UK @ Oval Space (Ty Segall plays ??? + Goodbye Bread) Sun. Oct. 13 – London, UK @ Oval Space (Ty Segall plays ??? + Manipulator) Tue. Oct. 15 – Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg (Ty Segall plays ??? + Melted) Thu. Oct. 17 – Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat (Ty Segall plays ??? + Melted) Fri. Oct. 18 – Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat (Ty Segall plays ??? + Manipulator)

Keep your mind open.

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Levitation Austin 2019 releases first lineup announcement.

Tickets are on sale for the first announced shows at the Austin, Texas Levitation Music Festival. Powerhouses like Russian Circles, John Cale, the Black Angels, Chelsea Wolfe, Red Fang, Warish, Here Lies Man, Kurt Vile, Dinosaur, Jr., Black Moth Super Rainbow, A Place to Bury Strangers, and the KVB are already scheduled.

Weekend general admission passes are $395.00, but they have tickets for individual shows if you’d rather not drop that much cash. Don’t wait too long to get your tickets. Many shows sold out last year.

See you there.

Keep your mind open.

[Levitate over to the subscription box before you split.]

Review: The Well – Death and Consolation

Ian Graham, guitarist and vocalist for Austin, Texas doom rockers The Well, had a bad 2018 – according to a press release for their powerful new album, Death and Consolation: “2018 was a strange, dark year. A lot of change going on in my life, there was a lot of depression and coming out of it over the last year. I wanted to call this Death and Consolation, because in life that’s a constant.”

It’s an appropriate title because the power chords, heavy lyrics, thunderous bass (courtesy of co-vocalist Lisa Alley), and almost heart-stopping drums (courtesy of Jason Sullivan) on the record are both creepy and invigorating. Graham also says, ” “I feel like this album is almost more gothic. We’re big fans of post-punk.”

That goth influence comes out right away on the opener, “Sabbah,” with its growling bass and lyrics of “flowers sliced by assassin’s steel.” Listening to “Raven” is like stomping on the gas pedal of a 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner while Satan is chasing you in a Dodge Coronet Super Bee down a winding mountain road at 12:01am.

“Death Song” isn’t a cover of the tune by the Black Angels (another Austin psychedelic powerhouse), but I’m sure the Black Angels would appreciate its Black Sabbath-meets-Thin Lizzy vibe. “Cup of Peace” could be a Joy Division track if that band upped the fuzz and spent more time in dimly lit libraries full of massive books chained to iron racks.

“Eyes of a God” gets off to a spooky, whispered start and then breaks out a serious rock groove that blends metal with late 1960’s garage rock while Graham sings about touching a land that lies beyond the sun. “Act II” starts with a sample (probably from a horror film I have yet to see) of someone trying to banish a holy man from getting closer and then breaks into a song about ancient evil being unleashed on the world…or is it? The sample at the beginning seems to indicate that The Well knows there are bright things beyond the veil that even Lovecraftian Old Ones fear. Oh yes, and the song is an absolute wall-flattener.

“Freedom Above” is a slow burn under a bubbling cauldron, whereas “This Is How” is a fuzzed-out raging fire that claims, “This is how the world ends, drowning now in flames. This is how the world ends, nightmare of the sane.” You don’t get much more metal than that. The closer is “Endless Night” – a dark tune about dark things dragging Graham (and the rest of us) to even darker places. It’s packed with sludge, menace, and guitar riffs deadly as a battle axe.

I’ve come to love doom and stoner metal over the last few years, and Death and Consolation is one of the best records I’ve heard in that genre. The Well is at the top of their game right now. I need, you need, we all need to see them live, and we all need to hear this record.

Keep your mind open.

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Andre Bratten releases funky new single, “HS,” ahead of full album due June 28th.

Norwegian producer André Bratten is pleased to announce his new album, Pax Americana, out June28th via Smalltown Supersound. Additionally, Bratten shares the funk-beat driven lead single, “HS.”

Listen to “HS” —
https://soundcloud.com/smalltownsupersound/andre-bratten-hs/s-GKRBI

In just five years, Bratten has established himself as a mercurial and uncompromising figure in modern-day electronics. After earning a reputation as a serious performer with a dark, cavalier side through his live shows and DJ sets on the European club scene, Bratten moved from the center of Oslo to the suburbs. The change of scenery had a positive effect on every aspect of his life, allowing him to focus on his young family and studio work. It took him a year to build his new studio in his garden, and then another year to patch all the hardware together again and relearn his music-making process. The first tracks to emerge from his suburban base surfaced last year on Smalltown Supersound as a series of three 12-inches. These are lush, driving funk cuts swaddled in curdled synthesis that find Bratten exploring a new way to conjure the spirit of the acts he loved in his early teens: Boards of Canada, Autechre, and the late Drexciya producer James Stinson’s The Other People Place and Transllusion projects.

Pax Americana presents three of the series’ softer tracks, alongside three new numbers which add a shade of menace to the record. Following his debut LP Be a Man You Ant released on Oslo label FullPupp and his previous Smalltown Supersound releases “Math Ilium Ion” EP and Gode, Pax Americanapresents Bratten using a pragmatic approach. He deliberately produced these track in an old-fashioned, analogue fashion, restricting himself to an 808, an old sequencer, a reel-to-reel tape and a vintage mixer that once belonged to ABBA in the 1980s. Bratten bought the desk from a rockabilly musician in Norway who’d acquired it from a Swedish TV station. Describing the bubblebath boogie of Pax Americana, he says: “I was trying to make a steady dance record without being swooshy. When I started listening to techno as a kid there wasn’t this melodic stuff, so the record is more of a vibe, a feeling.”

Across a handful of sketches, Bratten has sketched out an enchanted vision of the world – a kind of psychedelic dystopia – as he seeks to fuel his lifelong obsession with sound. “I’ve always been fascinated by how a sound can make you feel, without being something you can touch,” he says. “I’ve always been more interested in sounds than music.”

Pax Americana Tracklist:
01. HS
02. Pax Americana
03. 426
04. Commonwealth
05. Ranx
06. Recreation 26B

Pre-order Pax Americana —
http://smarturl.it/sts356-preorder

Keep your mind open.

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