Track-By-Track: CLOUDLAND Talks Debut ‘Where We Meet’

Posted on by Sydney Amling
Artwork by Elizabeth Harwood of Athens, GA.

Athens, GA-based CLOUDLAND has released their debut album Where We Meet, a multi-faceted exploration of the commonalities of the human experience. Written over the past year and a half, Where We Meet reassures listeners they are not alone.

The four-piece rock outfit composed of Zach King, Karmen Smith, Aidan Hill, and Hogan Heim has been releasing music steadily since 2017, but this album breaks the group’s typical record and release pattern. Where We Meet is the consequence of a year and a half of careful cultivation. 

We asked CLOUDLAND to take us through each track on the album and give us further insight into the inspiration and writing process behind them.

Check out their track-by-track rundown below, and be sure to queue up the album to listen along.

Sunday Afternoon

As the album’s first track, “Sunday Afternoon” immediately offers longtime CLOUDLAND fans something different according to Heim. This track is truly autobiographical, telling the story of an actual Sunday afternoon call. “There was a two-week period in which my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer and my uncle sold both our family’s condominiums in Florida where my family had been going for 22 years. We spent most holidays here” says King. He recounts the difficulty the group had matching lyrics to the existing melody that would become “Sunday Afternoon”. 

“I ended up just writing down everything that had happened: the line about the painting references an actual painting my uncle sent me that had hung in the condo for fifteen years. The phone call is the actual phone call in which I was told my grandfather was in pretty severe shape with colon cancer. It was this moment of balancing living in the present, but also acknowledging the importance of the past. You want to have those precious memories, but you can’t hold on to the past forever without losing the present. I don’t think the song has any resolution, I think it is more just a statement on life.” says King. 

Overthinking

“We had the idea to write a song about overthinking a relationship for a while. The general concept was there and we all took a stab at it, yet the lyrics weren’t coming to us. Eventually, Zach was able to take the pieces that we had and performed some skilled mad libs to put it together,” says Heim. King remembers that “as a band, we were able to write the bones of the track. I went back and fiddled with the lyrics until we liked where it was at.”

“It’s a really straightforward song,” according to King. “There is no real  personal experience behind it, rather it speaks to the universal experience of overthinking the complex nature of relationships.”

Where We Meet

The album’s eponymous track was written before the band had even decided to make an album according to Smith. “We wrote that at a church late at night and that was like the first official single. It was kind of a desperate night in terms of writing because we were just very frustrated with the ideas that had fallen flat.  At the end of the night, we just decided to leave it to Zach’s vocals and Hogan’s guitar. In the past, all of our singles have just been really energetic and loud which is cool, but we wanted to do something different” says Smith.

“I struggle to open up unless it’s through my writing or I’m at rock-bottom. So this song was an opportunity for me to do that,” says King. “It was also about collectively realizing ‘okay you gotta fight for something.’ Just looking at love from a deeper standpoint than ‘oh I love this person’ or ‘you make me feel good.’ Because it’s not always like that, there’s some pain and some hardship involved. Commitment is worth fighting for and promising things even in the midst of hardship. The song was my way of telling my wife that I am committed to her and that I’ll fight for her.”

St. Elmo

“St. Elmo” is about bass player Aidan’s relationship with his significant other and him really opening up about what she means to him in this song,” says King on behalf of his missing band member. “They had just been on a trip to Chattanooga, and it is a really special place to them. We titled the track St. Elmo, a town just outside of Chattanooga, to honor the significance of that place in their relationship.”

 “The funny thing is when we were trying to write one our first draft was just way too heavy. Karmen, Aiden, and I were just sitting there looking at it and we concluded that it was just way too much. We didn’t feel a listener could digest it despite the simplicity of the song. So we ended up scrapping it and wrote another song that night with completely different lyrics.  Aiden just opened up about how he felt that she is the person who can hold him together. It is desperately saying that there are times when you are the only person in the world that can make me feel like I’m sane or loved and cared for.”

Lights 

King recalls ‘Lights’ being a much lighter song than the latter. “When we finished that one we wanted it to be the kind of song people could just kind of sing along to. You don’t have to think about it nearly as much as say, digesting a personal struggle. In my mind, the song is meant to capture the feeling of driving with somebody by your side looking to have some fun.”

King also credits Heim for elevating the song musically: “I had this chord progression and then I brought it over to Hogan. He recommended doing the verses in 7/4 and the chorus in 4/4 to add this layer of complexity to it. Singing it is still hard. To this day I have a hard time singing the verses,  which I like.” 

King summarizes the song as one he “never gets tired of playing live. It’s an opportunity for anyone to sing along and embrace spending time with the people you love.”

Sunday Evening (Interlude)

Smith says “We went to our friend Tommy’s house and stayed up until 2 a.m. working on the interlude. We always go into a writing session with an idea, but somehow it always crumbles. The initial track was too much, and we simplified the whole thing because we didn’t want it to be too busy. Hogan and Tommy experimented with some weird guitar stuff and I played on their baby grand piano It ended up meshing together.”

Heim elaborates on the purpose of Sunday Evening believing it “set the tone for the rest of the album — particularly the following track, “Walking Away”. We wanted to use “Sunday Evening” to frame and seamlessly transition into “Walking Away”. We wrote it after the last four tracks were written, so we were able to compose with intention rather than trying to fit it back in.”

Walking Away 

Heim had just gotten his second amp and a flanger pedal when he started writing “Walking Away”. With additional inspiration from The Police‘s records, Heim composed the beginning of the track before eagerly texting King to hear what he had. 

King remembers Heim sending him a voice message with the chord progression and “just like that it was my favorite beginning to any song we’ve ever made. Just tonally, in the way it sounds.”

King clearly had fond memories of recording the track; recalling how things “just kind of fell into place. We really didn’t have to work for that one. The funny thing is we worked with artist Alec Stanley here in Athens. From a recording standpoint, it was the first time I’ve felt that experimentation pushed outside our comfort zone. The track has some tighter guitar and drum tones that really elevated what was possible… we really owe that to him.”

“The music thankfully steps in and says more than we could,” says Smith.  We didn’t write a bridge because we felt we had said everything already.”

Coming Back

“We didn’t even have lyrics to the song when we started discussing track placement. We just felt the progression sounded similar to “Walking Away”, but not in a bad way. Because of this, we decided to call it “Coming Back” in answer to “Walking Away”. The lyrics don’t contain the words “coming back” and I never fully understood the track until it was put into the context of the album. With “Walking Away” preceding it, the track fit thematically within the rest of the album,” says Heim.

King remembers the Nashville recording sessions. “I would procrastinate writing until the day of recording but found that working under pressure breathed some freshness into the writing. Particularly because a lot of these song meanings change for me when I’m in the studio versus when we are rehearsing together. It’s funny because I wrote the song about my relationship with God. I was at a point where I was genuinely wondering what I was doing, who I am, why I even believe in a creator, and that he is supposed to love me. Like these really heavy things. Only a week prior I had been sitting on my couch at 3 am and felt like I knew all those answers. I had known that I was loved and valued, yet completely shrugged it off. For me, that’s what “Coming Back” is about. It’s a recommitment to who I am and what I believe. But for a lot of people, it is a song about relationships — whether with a significant other, a relative, or even a friend.”

“A lot of people thought it was about my wife and me when I realized I do that with her too. I shrug something off or I won’t open up. Listeners drawing their own meaning from the track makes it something truly special.”

Restless

“We actually wrote “Restless” around two years ago and came back to it last Summer. Hogan essentially wrote the whole song and then we added the bridge. Essentially, the song had no lyrics for almost two years.”

Heim agrees adding that “A cool thing about “Restless” to me is that musically it was only the second song we had tried to write shortly after Aidan had joined the band. At that time, the band was firing on all cylinders, with Aidan rounding the rest of the band out. He really refined track into a state where the point gets across to listeners.”

King speaks to the lyrics saying “we were stuck until Hogan mentioned how cool it would be to swap perspectives between the verses and the chorus. So I just kind of ran with that. The perspective of the verse is young me and the chorus is me now telling my younger self what to do. But for anyone, it can be a reminder to slow down when you’re in the midst of existential concern.”

“The restlessness in the song speaks to this overarching idea of not being content with where you are,” King surmises.

Perfect Timing

Smith recalls the recording of “Perfect Timing” as “one of the most fun times recording and writing we’ve ever had.”  He says the band  “went up to Nashville to record as a snowstorm was approaching. So there was this looming feeling that we might get stuck there, which added excitement to the air. We were working with these two guys Ethan Standard and Blake Tallent; Blake’s an old friend of ours but we had never recorded with him. The lyrics were pretty cool because Zach wrote them sitting on the couch while we were busy doing drum and guitar takes… it just felt very natural.”

Heim agrees, “It was a super fun one because it was the first time I got to really flesh out all my ideas on the guitar with Blake, and Karmen did a similar thing on the drums. We all decided to give it what we got individually and see how it goes together without as much hands-on editing.”

“This song really helped us recognize how much trust we had in one another and how comfortable we became with trying out new things. This was a really fun song because our parts were separate but able to come together in a really cool way,” added King.

Review: Hotel Fiction: ‘Soft Focus’

Posted on by Buket Urgen
Hotel Fiction photographed by Sydonné Blake and styled by Katelyn Bass

Hotel Fiction’s debut album Soft Focus is finally out today. Written and recorded over the past two years, Soft Focus is a complete introduction to the potential Hotel Fiction brings to the table as musicians, writers, and creatives. It’s rare that a musical act steps forward with such a complete vision and polished presence, but Hotel Fiction has done just that and more – it’s no wonder they keep climbing. 

Since the release of “Astronaut Kids,” the duo has been hard at work gaining a following within and outside of Athens with five follow-up singles and multiple supporting tours. (Their first song has now garnered over a million plays on Spotify; they’ve also landed on two playlists curated by Spotify with their last single “Daydrifter.”) Now, in addition to their full-length album, they have an impressive line-up of show dates for the fall, including some dates opening for Adam Melchor. 

If you’ve seen the band perform live, it quickly becomes apparent that Jade, Jessica, and their band ensemble (which continues to expand) possess unique chemistry on stage and have the skills and experience to deliver their vision to its full artistic capacity. These same qualities that make them so fun to watch live translate extremely well throughout this record. With a clear understanding of what makes a good record and what makes a great record, they create their own multiverse throughout each song with hidden musical elements, overarching themes, and small little details that tie everything together. The rhymes and the melodies throughout are so well-crafted and the production so refined, you’ll keep hitting repeat.

Soft Focus is a collection of coming-of-age songs set in the current zeitgeist. Hotel Fiction knows what it feels like to grow into adulthood in a time of ecological collapse, political unrest, social isolation, and the shattered illusions of “you can be whatever you want to be.” “Soft Focus” — the title track — is an incredible tribute to each of these and is surely the thesis of the whole album. It both understands that sometimes life is a shitshow and “the world is on fire,” but reassures you that as long as you keep things in perspective (or… soft focus, rather), you’ll be just fine. Both lyrically and sonically, the song transforms from longing for simpler times into the vibrant, messy present. 

The album’s closer, “17,” is an emotional ode to missing the times you’ll never get back. It’s about leaving behind childhood. But also, about that moment when the floor gave out from under all of us and the things we loved so much (like dancing in our favorite clothes) were no longer an option. The bittersweet nostalgia of it all is ever so present here. By being themselves and telling their own stories, Hotel Fiction does what every band hopes to do which is connect with their listeners and make them feel less alone. 

Soft Focus is available for streaming now on all platforms.

If you want to experience the magic in person, head to the 40 Watt tonight to catch Hotel Fiction, CLOUDLAND, and Daddy’s Beemer perform.

Not in Athens? Catch them on tour!

  • 08/28 — Gainesville, FL
  • 08/29 — Lee, SC (Hypefest)
  • 09/09 — Asheville, NC
  • 09/10 — Atlanta, GA
  • 09/11 — Nashville, TN
  • 09/16 — Richmond, VA
  • 09/17 — Abingdon, VA
  • 09/24 — Athens, GA (Athfest)
  • 09/25 — Sevierville, TN
  • 10/12 — Cleveland, OH
  • 10/13 — Cincinnati, OH
  • 10/14 — Indianapolis, IN
  • 10/15 — Chicago, IL
  • 10/16 — Appleton, WI

Hiding Places, Out of Hiding: “Homework”

Posted on by Zeina Khalife

Hiding Places are one of many bands emerging through the bustling post-pandemic creative scene, escaping from an isolation that long limited the ignition of projects in-the-making. Though most of us spent apocalypse-times contemplating survival, it’s quite refreshing to remember how isolation drove many to cultivate time and energy towards their art. I saw this vitality at work amongst musical friends, and more-so those that spend their free time playing around in elaborately concocted home-studios—a fateful reality for the making of Hiding Places. Embracing the gradual return to live music with the release of a new single and mini-tour announcement, Hiding Places are just starting out with already a whole lot to offer, ever-present in the impressions of “Homework.”

The indie four-piece release their debut song today, only a few days after a fun first show at Flicker Bar in Athens on Wednesday. The single showcases their music as a blend of classic indie rock and psych dreampop, drawing upon the melodic affinities of Soccer Mommy, Snail Mail, and Japanese Breakfast. Originating between the creative hotspots of Athens, GA and Asheville, NC, the group are reflective of their influences, yet organic in their delivery of nostalgic indie. The single was mixed and produced by guitarist Nicholas Byrne, whose range of talent is evident between his present band and experimental solo project, Arts + Crafts—a diverse collection of vibrant electronica that is also available on all streaming platforms (check it out!). 

Although the band self-identifies their sound as “indie alt-country”, what “Homework” translates to is a slow-build of meditative, entrancing vocals matched by waves of floaty instrumentation. Harmonious layers of swirling guitar surround the space of the single, with a presence so immense and dominating it supersedes the chorus. Serving as a transitory daze between verses, the guitar & echoing ooh’s quickly effect the song into what feels like a psychedelic whirlwind (a comforting familiarity). The serene coordination between the two invokes a feeling both uplifting and reflective. Cyclical drums and bass shy in the background, complimenting the vocals/guitar and helping to cast you adrift the song’s contemplative dreamscape.

“Homework” is one of those songs whose instrumentals alone intuitively drive the volume up, and with such a pacifying voice, the varied potential of the band is eminent. Although hardly “alt-country”, the song invites an emotive yet heavy sound—similar in feeling to that of Melody’s Echo Chamber—a style the band has already proven to naturally embody. Between this and their future releases, which may dabble more in the realms of alt folk and country, I’m personally loving the psychedelic nature of “Homework” and am super stoked to hear how their music evolves from it. If you too are impressed by the band’s first release, you’ll be happy to know that they’ve recently finished recording a full-length album here in Athens, and plan to release the record both digitally and on pressed vinyl this fall.

Check out their bandcamp, & to stay tuned into their upcoming shows + new music announcements, do hit up @hidingplacesband on instagram!

Review: Hotel Fiction: “Daydrifter”

Posted on by Buket Urgen

Athens-based duo Hotel Fiction released their latest single ‘Daydrifter’ last Friday. Like every other song in their catalog, this one was also produced by Tommy Trautwein of We Bought a Zoo Records. Best friends Jade Long and Jessica Thompson are determined to bring a fresh sound to the table with every new track they put out; “Daydrifter” is no exception. 

The beginning of “Daydrifter” starts off with bird songs, which was coincidentally–or maybe intentionally?– how their last single “Think Twice” ended. The song instantly sounds like a campfire tune from the bright strum of the guitar to the smooth rhymes of each phrase. Although sonically different than their previous singles, Daydrifter returns to the psychedelic lyrics and imagery that made listeners fall in love with Jade and Jessica in the first place. In their first single, “Astronaut Kids,” Hotel Fiction wanted urgently to escape the growing pains of being 20 by becoming “an astronaut who sails the sea.” And now, two years later, things have come (almost) full. As shapeshifters in “Daydrifter,” the two pronounce that they are ‘sun sailors,’ watching the sky burn. In a similar vein, Hotel Fiction desired to go to the moon and take off into the sky in “Astronaut Kids.” Now, they are still far off in the atmosphere but in a more self-assured tone. This time they are the moon craters, watching the earth turn. 

The pair (or rather the trio because I have a hunch that Tommy frequently plays an important role here) have previously shown just how much they enjoy changing their sound midway through a song, either by adding something new or by taking something away. For example, in “Think Twice,” when the first segment of the song ends, they add in a minute and half long instrumental that crescendos and then floats back down. Or like in “Ghost Train,” during the bridge, when the strings drop away momentarily and all you hear is piano chords, an echoey harmony, and Jade’s vocals with a new vocal effect. And on and on… A similar shift is seen in this song. The second half adds in dreamy slides, a little twinkle in the background, and even a whole new narrative in the lyrics. Just like previous songs, the subtle tone change here works beautifully, enough to make a listener want to keep listening (and coming back). 

Hotel Fiction Fall Tour 2021 dates and locations. Poster made by Jade Ireland Long.

Hotel Fiction’s album comes out next month. And maybe you can catch them in your city during their Fall 2021 tour. “Daydrifter” is available to stream on all platforms.      

Review: CLOUDLAND: ‘Where We Meet’

Posted on by Caro Malphrus

As the clock strikes midnight, CLOUDLAND, based out of Athens, Georgia, celebrates the release their debut album, Where We Meet. The four-piece rock group is made up of members: vocalist Zach King, Karmen Smith on drums, guitarist Aidan Hill and Hogan Heim on bass.

Left to right: Aidan Hill, Hogan Heim, Zach King and Karmen Smith

The ten-track album was written over the last year and a half, handing us the means to cope with the solitude we have all felt recently but also the relationships we have curated and reinforced, stronger than ever before.

“Sunday Afternoon” eases us into this significant milestone of CLOUDLAND’s —acoustic guitars extend their reach to greet us, vocal harmonies enticing us to stay. Truly depicting of a Sunday afternoon with a hint of what’s to come in the week. And just like a Monday, “Overthinking” wakes us up from our breezy, Sunday haze. “Thinking straight is something I can’t do… while my mind’s on you.” This track stuck out the most to me with a chorus that you just have to loudly sing along to in the car, and the sweet innocence of being absolutely enthralled by another is something that should be cherished. This came out to be one of my favorite tracks from the album; it offered enough in the instrumentals — the punchy guitars, the drums backing up the energy of the song, and the catchy vocals. Personally and a little surprisingly, I found the titular track, “Where We Meet”, to be one of the lesser hits off the freshman album. It reminded me a bit too much of my own youth group days, but that’s trauma to unpack another time.

Next up is the recently released single, “St. Elmo” — the band writes, “It’s about having someone by your side that can take all the confusion of self doubt away by just holding your hand.” Along with track two, “Overthinking,” this is an automatic add to any roadtrip playlist, from Chattanooga to St. Elmo to North Shore. “Lights” is next, a track that gives me hints of nostalgia for the nights I never lived, the memories I haven’t yet created, within in the coming-of-age film I never will star in. Midway, the album is struck by what seems like the tail end of an alien invasion dream, the piano keys of “Sunday Evening” waking you up from your feverish illusion. Continuing on, a track that hit a little too close to home is “Walking Away.” King asks, “Did a dream just die?” A question we might never get the answer if we quit pursuing. But, as a response, “Coming Back,” the moody guitars and instrumentals echo the lyrics, the two deep in conversation. Taking a different approach, “Restless” shows a much more emotionally vulnerable and softer side of the band featuring higher pitched vocals, an entrancing guitar progression, and soft drumming. “I am restless inside of myself. I’m always trying to be something else.” “Perfect Timing” brings it home with bursts of energy we almost forgot existed, closing the album out with a lulling trickle of shoegazy guitar and whispers of harmonies.

Where We Meet is available for listen on all streaming platforms, and Georgia fans, keep an eye out for CLOUDLAND’s show dates in Atlanta and Athens.

Recommended for fans of Moon Taxi, Bad Suns, and Hippo Campus.

Tracklist:

  1. Sunday Morning
  2. Overthinking
  3. Where We Meet
  4. St. Elmo
  5. Lights
  6. Sunday Evening
  7. Walking Away
  8. Coming Back
  9. Restless
  10. Perfect Timing

Review: Lucy Dacus: ‘Home Video’

Posted on by Buket Urgen

Home Video is a stunning collection of delicate coming-of-age moments packed with emotional vulnerability and scenic poetry. Lucy Dacus, 26, brings to life nostalgic tales of her Christian youth camp days, friends dating subpar boys, awkward firsts and confused teens replacing pop culture references for a personality.   Presumably, the effectiveness comes from the way she read through her teenage diaries on the road towards the finished product. In reflecting on the past, she has masterfully (and perhaps unintentionally) created a looking glass for listeners to project their own teenage emotions and formative experiences onto. 

The charm of these songs comes from Lucy’s conversational tone, wit and self-awareness. “First Time” finds Lucy confessing, “I am just the fool you took me for.” She professes via Apple Music that the song explores discovering “your body and your emotional capacity” for the first time and the fear that you’ll never feel that way again. Then she admits, “I haven’t–but I have felt other wonderful things.” “Partner in Crime” reminisces on her early relationship with an older someone; Dacus makes her first experimental step into autotune, describing her desire to pretend and act older. In a casual voice, she sings, “You drop a hint that you got a girlfriend / I tried my best not to take it” over distorted guitars. 

Home Video is a glimpse at art that is so personal, intimate and vivid that the stories it tells become approachable, cozy and universal. As you zoom into the picture, you find that there’s details that you can latch onto and make yours. Its diverse palette and keen observations enables one to shapeshift. Sometimes, you feel like the songs are about you, and sometimes, you feel like you’re Lucy and you’re seeing your friends through her interpretation. In “Please Stay,” the first verse describes the unkempt house of an individual struggling to find a reason to stay alive. The outro, assisted by her boygenius bandmates, sings pleadingly and desperately for the subject of the song to do anything but leave. In another song (“Christine”), Lucy describes the way her friend justifies staying with a boy who doesn’t treat her right. With unadulterated honesty, Lucy confesses that she would risk losing her friends respect to stop them getting married if it came down to it. Throughout each song, both the observer and the subject are continuously done justice in this way.

In the end, I can’t help but wonder how it must feel for the people in Lucy’s life to hear the songs that tell their stories, to hear their worlds come alive in a picture book painted by someone else entirely. In some ways, as a listener, it feels invasive to realize that these songs implicate real people. The consequences of putting these songs out into the world are genuine and to some degree, change how one consumes them. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone Music Now, Lucy describes the anxiety of anticipating to hear from the subjects of her songs. She confesses that the subject of “Brando” contacted her after the song was released and expressed hurt. On the other hand, “Thumbs” and “Christine” are two songs that she asked for permission to record from the people it’s about. Songs like “Triple Dog Dare,” “Cartwheel,” and “VBS” could still be conversations waiting to happen between Lucy and the people she is singing to, which is the price paid for hyper-specificity. She acknowledges that some of these conversations she welcomes and others she would dread but leaves you guessing as to which category they fall under.

When the world shut down in March 2020, we were forced to spend time thinking about the past because there was literally nothing else to do. There was nothing happening in the now and nothing to look towards or anticipate. Although recorded before quarantine, Home Video somehow captures this feeling, at least for me. This album is unique in that it reflects on pivotal moments in one’s life from the end of the road, yet the distance isn’t so far that the details have become hazy, and the aftereffects have been lost during interpretation.

Home Video is available for listening on all streaming platforms.

Review: Skee Mask – ‘Pool’

Posted on by Jonathan Yim

Dance music has found itself in a stalemate throughout the age of pandemic. A genre whose beating heart lies on a club floor surrounded by individuals experiencing spiritual urges to move their bodies was demoralized at the snap of a finger. With physical spaces stolen away, the innate physicality of dance music became isolated inside and online.

Berlin-based producer Bryan Müller, aka Skee Mask, found himself further sharpening his production chops with a pair of EPs released at the prolonged apex of lockdown. Critics have pointed out retrospectively that these two projects are a direct response to required isolation, and I say looking back these two projects simply tease a taste of what was to come. After the well-deserved critical backing behind one of the 2010’s most fully realized electronic projects, Compro, ISS005 and ISS06 felt like a regression in scope for Müller. The stunning synthesis of ambient, dub, and break that catapulted Müller into the esteemed artist he is today were seemingly separated by an X-Acto knife. Each EP undeniably taut — breathing new life into grime and ambient production — yet lacking the humane “special sauce” that elevates Skee Mask above fellow contemporaries.

Expectations were set sky-high for Skee Mask’s full length follow up to Compro, and he meets expectations if not often exceeding them. Surfacing tracks that predate a lot of Müller’s released output while weaving current electronic ruminations into 100+ minutes of material, Pool does not amount to a mere compilation but rather feats a complete statement.

From start, opener “Nvivo” wraps listeners in a lightly tattered quilt of acid tech and ambient loops — a salutary encouragement to run outside and feel every tickling blade of grass beneath your feet. Müller follows this path towards amb-techno highlights “Rdvnedub” and “CZ3000 Dub”, with the latter track’s twinkly yet cathartic push-and-pull primed and ready to load into a CDJ. Müller’s toe-dip into footwork on “Pepper Boys” features a youthful whimsy akin to Suzi Analogue or Vegyn’s recent work. Pool leans into the sonic playground that dance music can be, further reminding listeners that only a sympathetic being could construct sounds such as these.  

As Skee Mask handily swims further into the deep end, the current sucks in moments like “Breaking Method,” an unrelentingly aggressive breakbeat cut fitting in snuggly amongst the Ilian Tape roster. Another highlight, “Testo BC Mashup”, opens with a jumbled radio transmission only to dunk you head first into drum & bass rhythms followed by ambient soaked hats and pads allowing a moment for air, before the D’n’B pulls us back in. It would be remiss to not vet the contemplative “Ozone” or the subsequent exercise in self-doubt: “Rio Dub”. Each track operating miles above sea level for some necessary R&R. And this is not to say that Müller has depleted listeners’ stamina, rather each track takes the form an undulating body of water.

Skee Mask has cemented himself as an artist whose undying ambition remains his greatest strength. The “special sauce” missing from aforementioned Iss05&06 is the worldliness that Müller so effortlessly breathes into the inherently digital. For Pool, Müller looked outside for grounding: thin air mountain tops and crashing waves characterize the form these tracks heed to (easy to see why Müller pays respect to one of Germany’s ambient techno greats). Not only does Skee Mask deftly wield the line between analog and digital, but also the past and future. Each track on Pool is familiar via Müller’s comprehensive music knowledge and dedication to creating something wholly his own.

Pool is available for purchase on the Ilian Tape Bandcamp.

REVIEW: Mary Margaret Cozart: ‘Emerald City’

Posted on by Sydney Amling

There have been times over the past year that I’ve felt like a parked car in the middle of the interstate. The world keeps moving forward, just as fast as before, but I’m stagnant. It’s a feeling I think is common among young adults during the pandemic. Their metamorphosis from child to adult was interrupted to return to childhood bedrooms, yet we are expected to come out of this time unaffected. Mary Margaret Cozart’s debut EP, Emerald City intimately explores this arrested development.

An Atlanta native, Cozart came to Athens, Georgia to study classical guitar and music business at the University of Georgia. Like the rest of us, when UGA’s campus shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic Cozart retreated home. It was here, in the confines of her childhood bedroom that Cozart came full circle, writing songs in the same place she had begun years earlier. Emerald City, Cozart’s debut five-track EP was released today, now available for purchase on Bandcamp and streaming platforms. The EP is intended to “address facets of the pandemic crisis and draw parallels to the Wizard of Oz.”

To be frank, the parallels to the Wizard of Oz are vague at best. Listening to the tracks searching for parallels to the film left me with a headache and questioning my position as a Judy Garland stan. However, once I dropped the search for deeper meaning I found it almost immediately.

Wake up, silly boy, you can’t hide away forever

You know what you’ve got to do

I know you’ve struck out maybe more than the next

But that’s no reason not to pick up where you left.

If I’m a parked car on the interstate, “Like You Should” speaks to the cacophony of honking horns demanding I move. Cozart’s melodic voice seems to address the listener directly, offering both understanding and encouragement to find the strength to reclaim our lives after this forced hiatus.

Fans of Madison Cunningham, Sara Watkins and Faye Webster can find understanding in Cozart’s silvery voice and skilled guitar as we come to terms with who we are and how we’ve changed over the course of the last year. As someone who relies on artists to convey the feelings I am incapable to name, I look forward to seeing what deeply personal, yet universal message Cozart captures next.

Punk’s (fortunately) Not Dead: Monsoon as a Riveting Reminder at Chase Fest

Posted on by Zeina Khalife

Is there a name for the feeling of suddenly becoming consumed by an energy you’re seeing or experiencing for the first time? When in the presence of some force that’s bigger than you, bigger than any one person could be? Something transformative, some naturally explosive potential, that you feel everyone else needs to be in on or else they’re brutally missing out? Perhaps this feeling comes fairly often to impassioned music fans, and even more narrowly to frequented concert goers. It comes to me most especially as I’m first discovering an artist, or art, in real-time. All I know is that if there were a name for this distinct feeling, then I’d use it quite precisely to describe my experience at Chase Fest the other weekend.

Chase Fest was a wonderfully DIY arrangement of four artists playing outside a warehouse at Chase Park, with the night’s lineup featuring Henry Toland, Heffner, Fishbug, and Monsoon. Everything about the evening felt dynamic, metamorphic, and revitalizing, with all credit due to the intensity that the bands brought. Needless to say, the feeling noted earlier would only amplify as the performances continued through the night.

All were exhilarating live acts relentlessly erupting with raw talent, but the closing act, Monsoon, left an effortless impression on the crowd and vitality of the festival. Monsoon are a punk three-piece as well as a tremendous volume of energy beaming out of Athens, GA; with Sienna Chadler on guitar and vocals, Joey Kegel on drums, and Roan O’Reilly on bass. Perfectly encapsulating the spirit of the evening mini-fest with their high energy songs, their performance was a stark, inconceivably stimulating reminder of the kind of fiery energy I’d felt missing from life alongside the prolonged void of live music.

Aside the near-instant elation, thrill, and passion felt just by once again being immersed in a semi-‘normal’ musical atmosphere, I was also completely staggered by the sheer talent of Monsoon and the intoxicating energy that they casted over the crowd. Shortly into the start of their set was a prompt opening of the pit, and the near-forgotten punk tradition of moshing ensued till the show’s close. Being able to once again be consumed by the enriching energy of a pit played a huge role in affecting Chase Fest into this wildly collective hysteria that I felt infinitely lucky to be a part of.

Monsoon’s sound is fervidly punk, yet striking in its diverse styles and exotic lyrical quirks. Tracks like “Speakeasy” and “Miss Cadillac” off 2015 debut album Ride a Rolla flaunt their capacity for genre fluidity and transcendence within the realms of punk and rock, whereas “Dead,” “Monsoon,” and “Tuck Me In” exhibit a dual ability to merge with the sounds of more commercially refined punk. Upon hearing Ride a Rolla for the first time, I couldn’t help but feel immediately drawn to the music’s unique, comparable distinction to 80s & 90s era primal punk. I found Monsoon’s organic styles to range from Ramones-esque, classically uncut NYC punk to the socially stimulating, riveting riotgrrrl energy of Bratmobile and the Raincoats. And with the electrifying force of a female-led punk rocker, Monsoon are en route to what feels like a resurrection of authentic femme punk.

Stylistically straightforward, fast-tempo’d, and delightfully hardcore, Monsoon is surely on the come-up with an already released collection of diverse, energizing tunes. Through songs like “Geriatric” and “Intro,” we hear dynamic punk versatility, and an exciting glimpse into what could be next through Monsoon’s stylistic development, as we anticipate the release of their new record. If you’re probing for that distinct feeling of abundant and infinite potential, stream Monsoon’s Ride a Rolla, and stay closely tuned for future album and show announcements!

Check out their music, available on Bandcamp and all other major streaming platforms. Also, check out all the entrancing moments captured by talented photographer Kyler Vollmar–link to the show’s digitals, as well as the rest of his lively, visionary projects at https://teethinabag.com/work!

REVIEW: DoFlame’s “Bat House”

Posted on by Caro Malphrus

18-year-old DoFlame made his debut just a few weeks ago with single “Bat House.” If I could describe this track in a just one sentence, I’d say, “90s nu trash is back, baby.” But, we have the privilege of free speech, so let’s continue.

I can’t say I expected a 2003 baby to make his debut with such a clash with clangs of 90s alt nostalgia, electronic switches on high and etchings of modern rap weaved throughout. “Bat House” perfectly encompasses teenage rage in a way that is so digestible; loud, angry, demanding of your attention, and they want it now. With an equally chaotic music video, this single is out to break some necks.

Upon some primary research, DoFlame, or Mateo Naranjo, and peers are working on collective OFFLEASH Worldwide, site featuring the “Bat House” video with flaming handheld camcorders surrounding the now old-school video player. Still so new, this group’s progression is something to keep an eye on.

DoFlame’s “Bat House” is available to listen on Youtube and Spotify.