Constantly on the upload and outlook in the realms of Techno, House and Bass Music, is by all means a worthy existence for my temperament. However at a risk of becoming a slave to the resounding bass drum, I have pulled my head out of the speaker cone, to take a brief look back and around. This handful of live electronic outfits are by no means under the radar, and are not the usual YCCMP catalogue. They have been caught well within a tractor beam of a hearty following, and already assume much significance amongst esteemed electronic ensembles today.
This particular branch of sound hosts a bloom of rich acoustics, warped with electronic orchestral under currents of rundown laptops, and well scrawled verse. Such acts are often bracketed by the preconditions of expanding movements such as new wave folktronica, and clashed with the digital shades of moody shoegazers of the past. I owe much to sounds such as these, as they moulded my slow graduation into the upper echelons of dance music, developing my insistent focus on 4 to the floor and 2-step rhythms. So with a new year in full swing with various resolutions being dropped and pondered, I guess it seemed like a good start to be a little more open minded, something that doesn’t hurt on a universal level.
Electric psych-folk indie four piece Yeasayer, are full of jaunting shrouding melodies, that encapsulate our present atmosphere of daunting future prospects. They hold an ability to take a depressing policy from a Copenhagen climate summit, and gloss it over in a reverb of camp fire fairytales, just to make you feel better about it. The gritty bass hook really makes this track.
Released back in 2004, Patrick’s first album Lycanthropy, has fast become a staple selection in my top recordings of all time. My brother stumbled across this album in 2005, at a point where I thought I had much in common with this gangly, curiosity shop victim on the cover. His combination of sequenced folklore and aggressive programming, really rattled my teenage inadequacies and laid my love for electronica. However the maturity of his scores and instrumentals, truly show this lone wolf is an innovative leader of the pack.
Heartfelt electro-clash is a hard medium to conquer. However Klement’s ode to be held, will be enough incentive for the loved up raver to grab the nearest lonely heart. There really is something that makes one feel a little love sick when listening to this track.
I expect Dieter Sermes the solo artist behind ‘The Go Find’, is probably a man who advocates dark bedrooms with glowing laptops, strewn with various ram shackle pieces of lo-fi studio equipment. ‘Over the Edge’ with it’s compressed synth scape, charts a contemplative paradigm of a soul wanting to be searched.
My repetition of this verbiage that is folktronica, might be a little arduous, if not a little vague. But if it’s anything, it’s definitely Tunng. Their deadbeat acoustic guitars, with altered percussive
waves looping underneath, really invest a richness in their hillside
harmonies. Look out for the break down in the middle of’ ‘Surprise Me 44′, it really breaks the beat into a wispy lo-fi marching drum.
A piece of advice. Listen to this string in posting order. Whilst doing so, kick back in a comfy chair, and set the phones to reduced noise. And as the Christmas lights come down in the background, recollect your festive spoils and feel good about the possibilities. And now you’ve been prescribed with an air that was lightly contrived, I hope you have a good new year.
Darkly
