As the first month of 2023 continues to unfold, new video creations on already beloved songs dominates this JanuaryDaveCromwellWrites entry. Audio innovations of expansive ambient explorations also receive deep listen thoughts and analysis. Finally the commencing of noteworthy live-show tours are noted here as well. It all adds up to an exciting entry into this continuous flow audio and video innovations.
This month kicks off in style with a brand new Official Video Release from one of this sites favorites – Turbo Goth. Having written a number of reviews on their releases over the last four years, news of their latest “high gloss” video comes as a welcome treat. Creating a stunning visual accompaniment for their song “Ready For Something New” shows the New York City living, native Philippines duo of Sarah Gaugler and Paolo Peralta expanding upon their hypnotic audio and visual appeal.
With quick cut visual images commencing along the song's opening distant muffled voices, we see jewelry on a dresser, the duo in a red rowboat and then sleeping against the dresser with an ornate ink drawing in view. A hand momentarily picks something off the ground and a golden phone flashes into view. Silver streaks of glittery makeup are displayed on each of the members eyes. A gorgeous shot of the duo on a pier looking out on a tranquil lake is offset by Sarah's glamorous attire (including silver high-heels). As the duo rises from their slumber and cut to rowing on the lake, the track commences in full with cascading title-line vocals over a dreamy, trip-hop feel. The golden phone reveals its purpose with Sarah delivering her vocal line “let me know when you're on your way” into it, as the duo looks resplendent all in white.
A compass appears as an item of significance as does a single white card with symbol on it, serving as code and clue for the journey ahead. Pairing with the lyric “it seems like we both like the same things – the same dreams,” are images of the all-in-white duo strolling hand-in-hand through a field. These stylistic impressions enhance the audio's shuffling electronic percussion and chillwave vibe. Lyrical statements “I wanna watch the stars with you” evolve into “I'll drive us to the Milky Way.”
A variety of camera lens techniques like moving the duo in and out of focus emphasize an overall dreamlike quality. “Hold on to the sparkles in the air” is one more magical line, juxtaposed against images of intricate tattoos and Paolo's guitar. Kudos to the director and cinematographer Michael Gaugler for all of this stunningly beautiful imagery. Also props to Patricia and Michael for the incredibly unique wardrobe design. The ultra-glamour in natural settings makes for a perfect combined modern fashion and spiritual experience. Sarah wearing heals to go rowboating and impossibly long eyelashes are both amusing and stimulating visuals. Finally the video credits a “special appearance” by “Josie” - who most certainly must be their equally gorgeous cat.
Check out this strikingly beautiful video (and song) here:
Previous Reviews of Turbo Goth can be found on this site here, here, here and here.
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Unique electronic multi-instrumentalist Matt Catling writes, records and releases music via his project name Under The Sun. Based out of Suffolk UK, the just-released three track “Ocean Breeze” EP is on much respected Shoredive Records imprint. Mixed by Darren Barnes (Trillion) and mastered by Simon Scott (Slowdive), the result is an exceptional sonic achievement of experimental creativity, and ambient instrumental explorations. While the artist namechecks My Bloody Valentine, Seefeel, Boards of Canada, Just Mustard and Jesu as points of reference, Holger Czukay and Ulrich Schnauss also come to mind. Detailed track-by-track descriptions follow below.
Your imagination and meditative thoughts are immediately engaged when listening to opening (and title) track “Ocean Breeze.” With the choppy-water cover-sleeve image providing an initial visual guide, rising synth pulses echo it's descriptive title. Swirling within distant alarm-like oscillations are softly whispered voices. An electronic percussive beat commences within the churn, floating forward and then back into mix. It disappears completely at the minute-and-a-half mark, leaving only an ambient void – before all the previous elements drift back in. One interpretation of it all might be the actual hypnagogic state-of-mind experienced after a lengthy time lost at sea. Similar hallucinatory accounts have been chronicled by super marathon runners (which last for days) or any kind of lost-in-a-natural-setting over a length of time. A brief rush of harsher metallic sound is injected near the end, before everything quietly dissipates into the wind.
Second track “Whirlwind” continues these ambient explorations using uncomplicated percussion patterns and an atonality within its overlaying sonic atmospheres. The audio equivalent of wind blasts develop alongside a singular flute-like slow-moving melody. Distant vocal incantations emerge once more, adding an element of possible ceremonial magic. The layers become thicker – denser – before allowing space again for coarse guitar bursts and those mysterious chanting voices.
Final cut “Soft Focus” slowly rises up out of the abyss and is subsequently met with unadorned chiming guitar strokes. As the aural surroundings commence to billow up, additional motorik drumming and muffled vocalizing stream into the mix. Bass guitar notes become noticeable just past the compositions midpoint, with percussion and the more dissonant audio turbulence momentarily subsiding. The final minute emphasizes all the elements previously described, before wafting away to nothingness.
Longtime popular recording and live show Canadian rock band The Trews are about to embark on an international tour. Having shared stages and/or rubbed elbows with legends like The Rolling Stones and Jeff Beck (gone too soon, but never to be forgotten) the US leg of their “I Wanna Play” shows begin next week, with a stop at New York's City Winery on January 25. With the recent release of their latest album “Wanderer,” expect to hear a substantial number of those new songs at the shows.
Their most recent video and single release from the album “Enemy” is a chiming pop-rocker built over descending chord progression and prominent bass-guitar line. “I know what it's like to be – the enemy. I will never be set from – of what it's like to me” is how the opening, self-reflective lyrics go. With that refrain serving at the songs repeated focal point, alternate rhythms on each verse steadies out the pace into a more-forceful guitar chug, while lyrics expand the tale. “Sad child with your heavy eyelid – looking out at the lonesome highway. For 20 years you've seen this coming” - with the big, repeated, full band emphasized-accent resolution “Open Up Your Eyes.” Quickly followed by the question “are you sure that you're alright?” The production is big, bold and impeccably recorded -as good as this sound can get. The video is top notch as well, showing all the band member in a live-like setting, with subtle overlays and close-ups for clarity and emphasis.
Check out this killer track and video here:
As stated above, the band begins an East Coast to Midwest leg of their tour soon, and all the tour dates are listed here.
Last summer, news broke about a new musical collaboration between multi-instrumentalist Darwin Meiners, former Violent Femmes drummer Vincent DeLorenzo and none other than long-time fave David J (of Bauhaus and Love & Rockets fame). Dubbing the band “Night Crickets” (the name taken from a conversation relating to something filmmaker David Lynch said), the full-length album “A Free Society” eventually made it's way into the world. Included with that news was a video for early release track “The Unreliable Narrator,” which received a detailed review here on this site. Positive responses to that warranted it's inclusion in the Year End Best Of Review right here. A brand new video has just been released for the album title-track “A Free Society,” which has been produced and directed by Ramzi Abed. Once again we focus our analytical point of view on this audio and video release.
Building around the albums percussion driven, tom-tom and shaker enhanced jungle-rhythms (you can almost picture the “crickets”), dominating bass guitar lays out a progression while quick images of the bandmembers putting on (or already wearing) sunglasses come into view. Shifting to a cigarette wielding David J inside what looks like an old school tv set, (and looking more like William S. Burroughs as the days go by) he begins reciting the song's lyrics. “Image if you will, a free society – where the empty horses can run wild and ad hoc. Without fear of variants – variants of concern.” Darwin reappears holding his six string Rickenbacker, and the chord change with David's harmonized “A Free Society” chorus is delivered. David continues “where the conversation is between Juliet and The Thimble” against images of $100 dollar bills in mysterious hands. The tracks most poetic (and curious) line is next “and Oumuamua' is visiting from a galaxy far, far away,” depicted in brightly lit, upward gaze imagery.
Snare drums kick in right in sync with Victor's triptych image, as the cash is shown burning with flames similar to the those on the album cover. An organ joins the audio mix and David continues these lyrical musings with “where the boss and the frail pagans can be at peace, in the house of heat.” The money continues to burn as does David's cigarette while images of the other bandmembers float in and out of view. Credit this pitch-bended, twangy guitar figure as catalyst for a hook entry into the title-line chorus. The drums become more clattery and guitars develop rougher edges while images of Mr. J and his bandmates flash into view. The final descriptive lines are revealed as “where the voice coil comes down the Traceaphone. And the Dark Watchers, Los Vigilantes Oscuros' are listening to . . .” Whispered – dramatic pause - “. . . Night Crickets” as David holds up the album cover. The cash continues to flow (and burn) and is that “Juliet” we see there briefly?
Check out this very cool song and video currently streaming on the bands Facebook and Instagram pages.
Dave Cromwell has been writing about music since the dawn of the internet age. In addition to the steady flow of features here on this site, he has been a regular contributor to The Deli Magazine (both Print and Web) since 2010. With numerous Print Issue cover features and weekly contributions on the Deli website, scores of artists have received the Cromwell point of view. Along with ongoing contributions to this site and The Deli Magazine, Dave has written for Dingus, My Social List, The Waster and Soma website magazines.
