Released without any singles dropped beforehand, and made via e-mail between the bandmates during lockdown, Butterfly 3000 is one of KGATLW‘s best in a while. It blends electro beats with their masterful microtones and psych riffs, and would it be a “best of” list without at least one KGATLW record?
These ladies can do no wrong. Each album from them is a delight, and Wink adds some really fun electro and dance cuts to their repertoire. “Ping Pong” was one of my favorite singles of the year.
2021 was another good year for post-punk, and these Brits put out a solid record of it that included hints of prog-rock. It has plenty of sharp lyrics and angular guitars, as you’d want from such an album.
A new lineup and a new EP? Yes, APTBS came back from the pandemic with new members and this sharp EP covering topics such as loss, perseverance, and communication. There’s also plenty of their trademark distortion and flattening sound.
This is one of the best post-punk records of the year. Gustaf’s lyrics are funny and biting, and their chords and beats are absolutely intriguing. You’ll love this band within moments of just one song.
Who’s in the top 15 of last year? You’ll learn tomorrow!
Coming in with a new lineup (Oliver Ackermann– guitar and lead vocals, John Fedowitz – bass, Sandra Fedowitz – drums), a new label (Dedstrange), and a return to their early shoegaze roots, A Place to Bury Strangers‘ new EP, Hologram, is filled to the brim with pent-up energy created from a year of being stuck in the house and watching most of the world go at each other’s throats instead of coming together in a time of crisis.
The opening processed and live beats of “End of the Night” are perfect for your morning walk with the dog or your bad-ass strut into a dark club where you’re going to perform a hit. John Fedowitz’s bass line ignites the spark of Ackermann’s gasoline guitar while he sings about the end of friendships in his old band (“Now that the friendship’s gone, I miss it to pieces.”), taking a breath, and moving forward with his new one. The My Bloody Valentineinfluence on APTBS is undeniable on the track, as it almost sounds like it was left out in the sun to warp.
“I Might Have” has a cool 1960s garage rock feel to it, if that garage is on fire and located next to a busy railroad line while Ackermann’s voice echoes almost to the edge of incomprehension. “Playing the Part” reminds me of some early Cure cuts while Ackermann sings about life continuing after bad times have come and gone (“Who doesn’t enjoy the sun?”).
“In My Hive” could well be the theme for everyone who made it through 2020. We were all stuck in our own hives, sometimes busy as bees working to make any sense of the world and restructuring our lives. Ackermann was not only restructuring his life, but also his band / livelihood, and launch a record label. The track has a great driving, industrial beat throughout it, leaving one to wonder if Sandra Fedowitz is a cyborg. John Fedowitz’s bass is subtly in the lead of “I Need You,” with Ackermann singing a lovely shoegaze tale of loss that wouldn’t be out of place on a Slowdive album.
This new direction for APTBS is an intriguing one. The band is exploring loss and also embracing new avenues and possibilities. Ackermann and John Fedowitz, longtime friends, were formerly in the underground shoegaze band Skywave and have now come back together for a new venture. Only APTBS know where this will take them. We’re just holding on so we don’t fly off their sonic bullet train.
Keep your mind open.
[Don’t forget to subscribe before you split.]
[Thanks to Dedstrange and to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]
A Place To Bury Strangers share new single/video “I Might Have” from their forthcoming Hologram EP out July 16th onfounding memberOliver Ackermann’s label Dedstrange. Following lead single “End Of The Night,” “I Might Have” is a fuzz-soaked sonic disaster in the best possible way. Past reflections collide with the brutality of a disintegrating world, stories of personal trauma, acceptance, and human failings emerge from the rubble of noise and destitute motorik rhythms. This is A Place To Bury Strangers at its most honest and unfiltered. Hologram serves as an abstract mirror to the moment we live in and “I Might Have” smashes that mirror into a thousand pieces.
“‘I Might Have’ is about the insecurities of life and growing up and when you just have to turn around and say ‘F*ck it,’” says Ackermann. “Life sucks so we may as well have a good time.” The accompanying video visualizes this mentality as it shows the band raucously hanging out together in New York City. Watch “I Might Have” Video
In 2003, A Place To Bury Strangers emerged on the scene out of Ackermann’s psychotropic vision. The band is known for their vicious live performances overloaded with all-consuming visuals, experimental sonic warfare, and treacherous stage antics. 2021 welcomes a lineup change; Ackermann is joined by new members John Fedowitz (bass) and Sandra Fedowitz (drums) of Ceremony East Coast, cementing the most sensational version of the band to date. John and Oliver were childhood friends who had played in the legendary underground shoegaze band Skywave, crafting futuristic punk music together. This next phase is a sonic return to the band’s most raw and unhinged endeavors, pushed even further into a new chaotically apocalyptic incarnation.
A Place To Bury Strangers 2022 Tour Dates: Wed. March 9 – Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklang Thu. March 10 – Dresden, DE @ Beatpol Fri. March 11 – Warsaw, PL @ Klub Poglos Sat. March 12 – Prague, CZ @ Futurum Sun. March 13 – Bratislava, SK @ Randal Club Mon. March 14 – Budapest, HU @ Durer Kert Wed. March 16 – Bucharest, RO @ Control Club Thu. March 17 – Sofia, BG @ Mixtape5 Fri. March 18 – Thessaloniki, GR @ Eightball Sat. March 19 – Athens, GR @ Temple Mon. March 21 – Skopje, MK @ 25th of May Hall Tue. March 22 – Belgrade, RS @ Club Drugstore Thu. March 24 – Zagreb, HR @ MochvaraFri. March 25 – Bologna, IT @ Freakout Club Sat. March 26 – Rome, IT @ Largo Sun. March 27 – Milan, IT @ Legend Club Tue. March 29 – Zurich, CH @ Bogen F Wed. March 30 – Munich, DE @ BackstageThu. March 31 – Martigny, CH @ Caves Du Memoir Fri. April 1 – Paris, FR @ La Trabendo Sat. April 2 – London, UK @ Lafayette Mon. April 4 – Antwerp, BE @ Kavka Tue. April 5 – Munster, DE @ Gleis 22 Wed. April 6 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg Thu. April 7 – Groningen, NL @ Vera Sat. April 9 – Stockholm, SE @ Hus 7 Sun. April 10 – Oslo, NO @ John Dee Mon. April 11 – Copenhagen, DK @ Pumpehuset Tue. April 12 – Berlin, DE @ Hole 44 Wed. April 13 – Cologne, DE @ MTC
Keep your mind open.
[I might have to remind you to subscribe, but I hope not.]
Brooklyn’s A Place To Bury Strangers announces their new EP, Hologram, out July 16th on founding memberOliver Ackermann’s label Dedstrange, and presents a new single/video, “End Of The Night.” Hologram is the anticipated follow-up to 2018‘s Pinned and will be capped by a world tour in early 2022. In 2003, A Place To Bury Strangers emerged on the scene out of Ackermann’s psychotropic vision. Often cited as “the loudest band in New York,” A Place To Bury Strangers is known for their vicious live performances overloaded with all-consuming visuals, experimental sonic warfare, and treacherous stage antics. 2021 welcomes a lineup change. Ackermann is joined by new members John Fedowitz (bass) and Sandra Fedowitz (drums) of Ceremony East Coast, cementing the most sensational version of the band to date. John and Oliver were childhood friends who had played in the legendary underground shoegaze band Skywave, crafting futuristic punk music together. This next phase is a sonic return to the band’s most raw and unhinged endeavors, pushed even further into a new chaotically apocalyptic incarnation.
Lead single “End Of The Night” buzzes with percussion and murky noise and synth, as reflected in the disorienting self-directed video. Oliver Ackermann elborates: “‘End Of The Night’ is the first written in collaboration with either of the new band members. John sent me the drum track and challenged me to write a song over it. It sort of came about as a strange stream of consciousness and unknowingly became about the end of the former band and the beginning of the new one. Each layer of the song stripping away the dead skin from the old and regrowing layer and layer of distortion of the new band. It’s great to be working again with John Fedowitz. I feel like our songwriting styles shot off in different directions from our earlier band Skywave only to come back to the table with different experiences to create something special again.”
A Place To Bury Strangers will host a screening of the Dedstrange SXSW Showcase this Friday, April 23rd at 7PM Eastern Time via the label’s Facebook and YouTube. It’s the first performance featuring the band’s new lineup, and other artists performing include Holy F–k, Randy Randall (No Age), Paul Jacobs (Pottery), Data Animal and Jealous.
Hologram EP Tracklist 1. End Of The Night 2. I Might Have 3. Playing The Part 4. In My Hive 5. I Need You A Place To Bury Strangers 2022 Tour Dates: Wed. March 9 – Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklang Thu. March 10 – Dresden, DE @ Beatpol Fri. March 11 – Warsaw, PL @ Klub Poglos Sat. March 12 – Prague, CZ @ Futurum Sun. March 13 – Bratislava, SK @ Randal Club Mon. March 14 – Budapest, HU @ Durer Kert Wed. March 16 – Bucharest, RO @ Control Club Thu. March 17 – Sofia, BG @ Mixtape5Fri. March 18 – Thessaloniki, GR @ Eightball Sat. March 19 – Athens, GR @ Temple Mon. March 21 – Skopje, MK @ 25th of May Hall Tue. March 22 – Belgrade, RS @ Club Drugstore Thu. March 24 – Zagreb, HR @ Mochvara Fri. March 25 – Bologna, IT @ Freakout Club Sat. March 26 – Rome, IT @ Largo Sun. March 27 – Milan, IT @ Legend Club Tue. March 29 – Zurich, CH @ Bogen F Wed. March 30 – Munich, DE @ Backstage Thu. March 31 – Martigny, CH @ Caves Du Memoir Fri. April 1 – Paris, FR @ La TrabendoSat. April 2 – London, UK @ Lafayette Mon. April 4 – Antwerp, BE @ Kayka Tue. April 5 – Munster, DE @ Gleis 22 Wed. April 6 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg Thu. April 7 – Groningen, NL @ Vera Sat. April 9 – Stockholm, SE @ Hus 7 Sun. April 10 – Oslo, NO @ John Dee Mon. April 11 – Copenhagen, DK @ Pumpehuset Tue. April 12 – Berlin, DE @ Hole 44 Wed. April 13 – Cologne, DE @ MTC
