Helicon
Another haul of musical gifts, Getintothis’ Matthew Wood delves into the fantasy world of a young genius and discovers a monumental force rising from the UK underground psych scene.
Helicon – Seraph – Single of the Week
Helicon’s debut record has been a long time coming, but frankly they haven’t even needed to release a full length record.
Their whopping eight EP’s have taken them around the world, developing and expanding their sound to the point they’re at now with an arsenal of mind-bending psych glowing with the rich musical traditions of the East.
Seraph is the first taster of the new record, a reworked version of an earlier track that the band thought should better emulate the given title, Seraph: a heavenly winged creature with enlightening power.
The sitar led track is indeed warm and welcoming and finely combines elements of dusty psych with the powerful spiritual reverberations that the sitar brings unlike any other instrument.
Recorded in Mogwai’s Castle Of Doom Studio this record has all the makings of a record that could compete with the psychedelic greats!
Ty Segall – Meaning
Very much a game of two halves this one, but two memorable halves at that; the king of fuzz (and Fuzz) follows up last month’s Alta with his wife Denée taking the helm on lead vocals in a typically explosive track. Segall has never been one to faff about, he wants flailing limbs and spine-wrecking headbanging as soon as possible, and Meaning is no exception.
The first half kicks in with a quick-fire hi-tom beat while Segall’s guitar can be heard growling in the background, waiting pounce. We then descend into a chaotic realm of fuzz, thick and sludgy with Denée’s sugary vocal bubbling to the surface.
A one off track perhaps? Or one of many collabs with his sweetheart? As long as we’re getting music from Ty we’re not really fuzzed…
Weird Sex – Trevor
A fun one for the search engine, Weird Sex is also a ferocious proto-punk outfit with roots in both London and Liverpool. Their latest is about a teddy bear called Trevor, filmed in a phone box, and exhibiting all you could possible want from a modern day punk band.
That being a wordsmith of a front-man, super tight attacks on the drum kit and a hefty dose of menacing bass, all polished with a tongue-in-cheek humour that barks in the face of their milieu. No doubt they’re explosive live, also, watch out for Weird Sex won’t you…
Delsbo Beach Club – All The Way Home
Stockholm-based surf outfit Delsbo Beach Club arrive with shimmering synths and deliciously sweet licks chocked full of energy you’d have to be a sour soul to not enjoy.
All The Way Home begins with a resounding arpeggiated synth that becomes the cornerstone for the track. Throw in a punchy ride-driven beat, some twinkling guitar solos and you’ve a melody riddle space for their lead vocalist to lay down some expansive vocals that act like a unique instrument in the mix.
A strong start from this quartet, we look forward to more!
Cosmo Sheldrake – Come Along
Cosmo Sheldrake, a unique moniker if I ever heard one, but no, wait… that’s his real name!? Surely enough his quirks don’t end with his name, he’s a 27 year old artist, composer, film maker and songwriter who’s creativity is well… jaw dropping. He’s the kind of talent that makes you wonder a) how he found the time to become so darn good at so many things, and b) what the hell you’ve been doing with your life.
His wonky folk pop, as you’d expect, pulls influence from a number of sources making it wonderfully wild and phantasmagorical. With the musical world at his fingertips, Sheldrake crafts cinematic often allegorical, whimsical tales, encrusted with fantasy and dusted with wonder; join Sheldrake and go catch a Heffalump and escape the humdrum.
BAXTER DURY – Prince Of Tears
Son of Ian Dury, Baxter appeared on the cover of one of his father’s LP’s, New Boots & Panties!! at the age of 5. The now 45-year old recently signed for Heavenly Records and has released this single from his eponymous debut record for the label, Prince Of Tears.
Characteristically of Dury he lays down spoken word over the cinematic ballad, with angelic vocals calling out to (presumably him) the Prince of Tears, while he responds, unfazed and like a cockney John Cooper Clarke, with us hanging onto his every word.
Dury, other than the odd utterance takes a lyrical back-burner and the female voice provides most elegant melodies until we fade out. Keep your eyes peeled for more Dury very soon.
Trudy & The Romance – Twist it, Shake It. Rock & Roll
Trudy & The Romance have frequented Singles Club for quite a while now, each time they release a new tune, I wonder whether they’ll pull it out of the bag, and they have, every time. Their energy and charm has continued throughout every mix, the band giving a little bit more of themselves each time, growing more skillful, more heartfelt and more impressive.
Built on a call response, with vocalist Oliver Taylor sounding his most smokey and gravelly, although the title suggests a letting loose, he sounds somewhat downtrodden amid the punchy and characteristically upbeat backing vocals.
His lyrics suggest a longing, ‘hold my hand‘, ‘I just want to get to know her a little bit more‘, its almost as if the neatly carved backing vocals are keeping him afloat, and it’s a neat dichotomy of tone amid the track. The overall feel is typical Trudy; rumbling pop that could squeeze into just about any era.
Nick Power – Sing Along
The Coral’s Nick Power returns with another uniquely creative endeavour, recording an album on a caravan park in North Wales and releasing accompanying short stories and poems. Power chronicles the very British notion of caravanning, revelling in the tales and experiences that attach themselves to the static homes so many of us spent our childhoods frequenting.
The soundtrack’s production is minimal, utilising pots and pans and a 2 week time period. It’s intimate, lo-fi songwriting at its best, conjuring up Butlins memories, sat in the dark with candles dotted around the room, wrapped in a blanket because you hadn’t topped up the meter.
You can listen exclusively below, and here a word from Power on the project: ‘Caravan is a book about caravan parks across Britain. I’m drawn to these purpose-built holding-pens for suburbanites and city families who spirit themselves away to the coast or nondescript fields next to A-roads. The accompanying music was recorded in the middle of that familiar wilderness.’
Halina Rice – Drive (Richard Norris Remix)
Taken from Halina Rice’s debut album, REDUX, out on cult label, Blurred Recordings, here her latest single Drive is reworked by veteran of the electronic scene, Richard Norris.
Rice’s original track is any producer’s ideal environment for a remix; it pulsates with dark, menacing synths while Rice’s vocal pervades the track like an ever-present ghost and Norris, one half of Beyond the Wizard’s Sleeve nods to her impressive vocal range by powering his remix with repeated motifs.
Characteristically of Norris, it’s a hypnotic track that spans 7 minutes but you wouldn’t realise it. The arpeggiated synths that run throughout leave you in a trance with textures that feel almost tangible in your ear drum, while others sweep and shimmer like the unsheathing of a blade.
Rice and Norris prove a noteworthy partnership with Rice as part of a new-wave of electronica, joining forces with the mind of a well-weathered genius and it’s clearly a case of mutual appreciation and adoration.
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