Sorting Through Browser Tabs: Vessels To Motherland, HILOTRONS, Deeper
Vessels To Motherland is the work of Danica Borisavljevic (composer/producer/violinist) and Nikita Yermak (composer/producer/pianist), their music defined as electroacoustic. Listening to the duo’s latest singles, “[process and product]” and “[irradiate],” there’s an air of distress to both that relate as social commentary or personal unease. An automaton’s cold recitation of key terms and phrases drives “[process and product]” into pulse-laden and House-evocative dystopia. For “[irradiate],” a looped and static-drenched thud anchors a series of inebriated and out-of-step piano keys and acoustic strings, like Free Jazz elements challenging the instrumental’s reliable backdrop. I enjoyed that juxtaposition.
Web: https://www.vesselstomotherland.com
Bandcamp: https://vesselstomotherland.bandcamp.com
“Lonely Cinema (Omission Of Sin)” by HILOTRONS is a well-conceived near 20-minutes of film score adoration, much of which references (with reverence) soundtracks tied to films of the 60s and 70s. Though mostly instrumental, the song’s vocal passages exhibit enough of a theatrical and noir’ish quality that the themes are kept intact.
Fans of Tangerine Dream, Goblin, John Harrison, John Carpenter, Roy Ayers, Willie Hutch, Isaac Hayes, and Jack Nitzsche should give this one a listen.
Web: https://hilotrons.com
Bandcamp: https://hilotrons.bandcamp.com/track/lonely-cinema-omission-of-sin
“Tele,” the newest single by Sub Pop’s Deeper, successfully balances the six-string delicateness and tension of bands like Seam and Rodan with synth lines and electro propulsion evocative of bands like Talk Talk or Japan. I would consider “Tele” a headphone track, the sleekness of the production only aiding the overall unease Deeper manages to exhibit.
Deeper’s upcoming new album, Careful!, is available via Sub Pop on 9/8/23.
Info and video provided by Sub Pop.
“‘Tele’ is a song without its shield. In past Deeper compositions, we would hide behind jerky guitars and abstract vocals telling a story only we could decipher. With ‘Tele’ we wanted to explore the vulnerability behind our music and give focus to the melody and mood of the song. Replacing guitars with synthesizers and drums with samplers we stumbled upon a new way to approach a Deeper song.
We wanted to make a darker track that people could dance to. Since the foundation is built on a sampler beat, it’s the kind of song we could’ve only created with the limitations of the pandemic. The electronic components left more space for the rhythm, so our engineer Dave started playing with a busier bass line for the verses and laid down the hook on the first pass. At the end we wanted the synth parts to constantly overtake one another and hopefully make the listener feel like they’re being swallowed into the song.”
Careful! is available for pre-order: https://megamart.subpop.com/products/deeper_careful
Bandcamp: https://deeperchi.bandcamp.com/album/careful
Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead
