This is episode #2 of Colorado Files which took me a couple of centuries to write because I slowly discover the state’s alternative music scene and I have to say that I was totally ignorant on half of the artists that I decided to suggest/recommend. I don’t pretend to be Coloradan, I’m not even American as you know, but as I am involved in Noise Journal as the musical explorer I decided to launch this dedicated to Colorado’s alternative music scene string of articles, not for us to enjoy and applaud but honestly, for the rest of the world to discover them. I need your help with your comments, and I also kindly ask you to email us your stuff, please. Now turn it louder than usual and have fun.
Born in Elk Tooth, Wovenhand needs no particular introduction. David Eugene Edwards was already a world champion with 16 Horsepower before he started his very personal artistic journey with Wovenhand. Lucky me has seen Wovenhand twice perform live in Athens GR in a decade. Like all people outside the US who attend their shows, I was blown away by Edwards’ desert streams and the whole narrative of his musicians. On my theory, the band’s multitasked and esoteric grooves, are way beyond tags and genres as they are on board a wider “astral” to a pagan entity. Who can easily say that it is desert-psych-indian-earthlink-rock-blues-folk whatever? Here is a sample on Wovenhand’s heart…
And in case you missed their latest album Star Treatment, here it is too!
In Albuquerque, New Mexico—where Chris Frain lived up until a few years ago when he moved to Boulder with his wife—he played keyboard for indie-pop act The Giranimals, an experience that shaped his love for analog synths and laid the groundwork for his personal outfit Pattern Language. Synthpop oriented Synthwave music which could easily remind the listener of songs by AIR and Stereolab with its liberal use of Mellotron strings and bongo-heavy percussion, Frain sounds like a rising sun in the kraut-electronica system. Here is a pretty lineament tune from his latest Total Squaresville album!
And here, is the whole record for you to enjoy his musings!
Denver’s fuzzy industrial post-punk shoegazers Voight came as a surprise at the corner. Nick Salmon played for years some synth oriented post-punk music with Glass Homes and Adam Rojo played guitar with punks Ideal Fathers. After a couple of bands they played together they obviously decided that it was about time (2015?) to unleash their common interests and likes in the sonic fine arts. Filtered darkwave coming from the shoegaze wall of sound, and a punk attitude all over, check them out for a minute…
Fuzzy stuff yeah, but if you think that you got the message clear, I suggest you should get a little more busy with their latest Malware mini album!
Kate Warner aka Mirror Fears from Denver plays outstanding ambient/experimental electronic music with a keen on industrial/darkwave. A producer and a DJ too who storms rooms and venues with her unique, original styles. Darkwave…mmm, Mirror Fears is among the artists who don’t stick to the retro past of it all. Darkwave is not only loving Batcave and the outfits, not only getting closer and closer to the underground post-punk dungeons we were born, but a state of mind too which evolves in time too. How many artists are you aware of who really exist in this kind of perspective? Many! Me too! Mirror Fears is infused with the substance which she actually “translates” it in her solo records. I-am-very-impressed!!! Check her Bandcamp for more, here is EATEN LP!
In Colorado Files’ episode #1 we saw Denver’s A Shoreline Dream. Now, Brim Liski is a side project of ASD’s Ryan Policky whose interests also expand to post-industrialism and electronic music too. Keeping his shoegaze flames alive he joined Justin Gitlin and Jasper Boer in the formation of Brim Liski. It may sound to you as avant-garde too in excerpts, also psych in camouflage. What is more important and cozy in all is that you can’t really tell what genre they play, they are modern, they seek on their artistic concerns openly and don’t seem to care a lot about what is the genre they must follow. Check Flight, please.
Now go to eyesLIES to hear another, completely different, aspect, and keep your eyes and ears open because the person who said about Brim Liski to me also spoke: they have a new something coming on soon!
That was episode #2 curated by Mike D.
