Month: July 2015

O.K. by Eskimeaux

Justin Anastasio, Leave a comment

Eskimeaux - O.K.

You enter a large, two-story house. It’s eerily quiet, and it appears that no one’s home. The first floor is completely empty, so you creakily ascend the stairs. Everywhere is vacant, save for one room. The last one you inspect contains a hefty mass of children’s toys. You step through the bedroom door, and your body becomes paralyzed. A flash of light blinds you, and when your eyes adjust, you see the colorful, plastic behemoths towering over you . . .

In dire need of a pick me up? Look no further! O.K. is the most recent full-length from Gabrielle Smith and her solo endeavor, Eskimeaux. In 2011, she, her band, and a few of their friends established the Epoch, a songwriting and art collective located in Brooklyn. This community of likeminded individuals maintain the philosophies of togetherness and reciprocity, and those warm components shine through on this fun record.

Having participated in multiple other collective members’ bands, including Frankie Cosmos, Told Slant, and Bellows, Smith is well-versed in the ways of complimentary sound. Her tender alto is sewn ever so snug into the quilt of each song, allowing the twinkling synths, driving guitars, and Felix Walworth’s tasteful drum rhythms to breathe clear and radiate within the overall mix. It’s all highly sophisticated songwriting, as well.

The element that comes through the clearest on this record is the aura of comfort and relief it provides for the listener. It’s affectionate, encouraging, and sincere to the utmost degree. Whether you’re feeling upset, angry, or just fine with everything, these songs empathize with non-saccharine sweetness, and state with credibility that it’s all O.K. If you’re seeking charismatic, comforting, and fun music, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

O.K. by Eskimeaux

More Faithful by No Joy

Justin Anastasio, Leave a comment

No Joy - More Faithful

You barely see the path you walk upon, clouded by a thick haze but lit by countless fireflies. Welcome to the Foggy Bog festival, located in a deep swamp on a distant planet. Fuzz rockers from all corners of the galaxy journey here to gift their songs to eager listeners, who stand in the smoky gloom and absorb the sounds without sight. Insect lanterns lead you to a clearing, and suddenly they disperse into the air. You hear distant white noise, growing louder . . .

The fuzz! The sweet, glorious fuzz! More Faithful is the third full-length release from No Joy, Montreal shoegazers that stretch and contort the limits of “shoegaze” like nobody else. The trademark sounds of the genre, hazy guitars and cloudy vocal mantras, are present, but it’s clear from the first few seconds of “Remember Nothing” that this is something much different. The instrumentation and compositions are multifarious.

The range of experimentation present on this beautiful, nebulous record is notable at least, and astounding at best. It feels wrong to label this album with the stamp of “shoegaze,” because the only things shoegaze-esque about it are the instrumental tones and textures. The song structures, melodies, and rhythms are essentially disparate in nature, and deserve to be examined as completely unique worlds of sound.

The balance between murky darkness and radiant brightness is No Joy’s specialty. “Remember Nothing” is a raucous affair compared to the cavernous dream pop of “Moon in my Mouth,” while “Chalk Snake” dabbles in the colossal, trudging sounds of doom. It’s a wonderfully diverse record that reveals itself more with each listen. If you’re seeking layered, experimental music with a hazy glow, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

More Faithful by No Joy

Meridian by Evan Caminiti

Justin Anastasio, Leave a comment

Evan Caminiti - Meridian

You stand at the cliff of a precipice, gazing into the gaping mouth of the world. The hole is deep and wide, and the bottom can’t be seen. Silence is all around you, for there are no more humans to disturb it. You pick up your equipment and descend down the coarse face of the rock wall. The echoes of humanity are known to exist down here, and you want to see for yourself. You hear a faint rumble, and as you go deeper, it gets darker and louder . . .

Prepare yourself for a boundless plunge into the unknown. Meridian is the fifth solo full-length from Evan Caminiti, who’s been constructing massive guitar drone music with Barn Owl for years. The talented producer is known for his infatuation with synthetic processing, which often results in his guitar resembling the furthest thing from a guitar. However, on this release he opts for gargantuan modular synthesis.

Even if you consider yourself naive when it comes to drone music, I implore you to still give this music a chance. It’s huge, it’s beautiful, and it’s so easy to lose yourself within it (I actually felt hypnotized and unable to multi-task multiple times during my listens). The sounds in these songs simulate towering machines, vast caverns, and the darkest, most harrowing depths of the world. It’s truly awe-inspiring, and overwhelming at times.

The name Meridian supposedly refers to the concept of energy’s migration through the body on passages called meridians, and Caminiti has stated that the record must be played loud in order to feel it pulsating throughout your being. Honestly, it’s breathtaking as a close headphone experience, too. Listen to this while laying down in a dark room, eyes shut. If you’re seeking immense, cavernous drone, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Meridian by Evan Caminiti