LISTEN: Reptaliens – ‘Taking’

A hazy, electro-pop tune about the duality of action and perspective, Portland duo Reptaliens have shared their latest single ‘Taking’. Lifted from the band’s upcoming EP Wrestling, which is set for release on 6th November via Captured Tracks, the track is accompanied by a lyric video that shows the unsettling deep red colour of Oregon’s skyline, caused by wildfires earlier this year.

‘Taking’ marks a turning point in Reptaliens’ sound. The duo, formed of Bambi and Cole Browning, have taken on full production, mixing, and engineering duties for this track and their new EP, which allowed them the time and space to explore the more tentative, minimal side of their song writing.

“Taking” is about perception and existence,” the pair explain. “It’s a song that carries the listener through the balance between action and perspective inherent throughout the human experience. Deviating from our traditional ‘reptaliens sound’ we chose to create a collection of darker songs with which to play on this reoccurring theme. The video was shot while crossing the California/Oregon border a month ahead of the single release. The chaos that wildfires have brought to the west coast seemed to encompass the visual juxtaposition between the darkness and light that nature brings.”

Listen to ‘Taking’ below and follow Reptaliens on bandcamp, Spotify & Facebook for more updates.

Photo Credit: Dan Hanson

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Magick Mountain – ‘Cherokee’

A fuzzy, psych-tinged cacophony of buzzing basslines and rumbling guitar riffs, Leeds-based trio Magick Mountain have shared their latest single ‘Cherokee’. Taken from their debut album Weird Feelings, which is set for release on 23rd October, the track is a riotous reference to the wisdom of indigenous belief systems.

“We wrote ‘Cherokee’ when there was a Strawberry Moon high in the sky,” the band explain. “Inspired by ancient rituals, we read into the Native American Cherokee tribe and their deep connection to nature, lunar cycles and crop growing. In the West, there is a tendency to believe that ‘we know best’, colonising and destroying people and their traditions in awful ways. We desperately need to respect native traditions and beliefs, so with this song we hint at learning and letting go. The Strawberry Moon signifies cycles starting over, which is also a metaphor for our own learnings as human beings.”

Formed of Lins Wilson (Grammatics & Mother Vulpine), Tom Hudson (Pulled Apart By Horses) and Nestor Matthews (Sky Larkin, Menace Beach), Magick Mountain craft energetic, psych-infused, frantic guitar tunes that explore everything from fantastical worlds to ancient mythology and mystical metaphors. ‘Cherokee’ is another crash course into their cosmic, distorted sound, informed by the past but with a futuristic edge.

Listen to ‘Cherokee’ below and follow Magick Mountain on bandcamp, Facebook and Spotify for more updates.

Photo Credit: Kirsty Garland

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: A.A. Williams – ‘Lovesong’ (The Cure cover)

A tentative, beautifully stripped back version of an 80s alternative classic, London-based artist A.A. Williams has shared her cover of The Cure’s ‘Lovesong’. It’s another exquisite offering from the songwriter’s ‘Songs From Isolation’ series, which she’ll be releasing as a 9 track LP via Bella Union on 12th February 2021.

Williams spoke to us about her ‘Songs From Isolation’ series earlier this year ahead of the release of her debut album, Forever Blue (read the full interview here). Having received such high praise for both recording projects, she’s now taking the covers that fans originally suggested to her and releasing her home recordings on vinyl. The Songs From Isolation album will feature Williams’ covers of tracks by The Cure, Pixies, Deftones, Nick Cave, Gordon Lightfoot, Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails and more.

“’Lovesong’ was one of the first songs suggested by fans for the Songs From Isolation series, and was one of my favourites to rework,” Williams explains about her new release. “The original conjures up such nostalgic feelings, I really wanted to honour as many of elements of it as possible. The lyrics are so beautiful and tender and I wanted to shine a light on them in this version, so I’ve tried to create a delicate backdrop for them out of the melodic elements of The Cure’s original.”

With this latest release, Williams continues to impress fans and critic alike with her sensitive balancing of staying true to the original track she’s covering, whilst also shining a new light on how it can be experienced and enjoyed.

Listen to ‘Lovesong’ below.

Follow A.A. Williams on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Opal Onyx – ‘Lover’s Toil’

A cinematic reflection about the risks we take when trying to find love, Brooklyn-based duo Opal Onyx have shared their latest single ‘Lover’s Toil’. Taken from their upcoming album Vessel, which is set for release on 4th December, the track blends trip-hop beats, sweeping electronics and emotive vocals to enrapture listeners.

Formed of Sarah Nowicki and Matthew Robinson, Opal Onyx take their name from the shiny opal gemstone and the opaque darkness of onyx, exploring the light and the dark that balances our world. On ‘Lover’s Toil’, the duo navigate the cautious yet unpredictable nature of love, urging listeners to take a chance on it when it comes their way, and throw themeselves in head first.

Speaking about their upcoming album, the duo explain: “It’s our therapeutic vessel we can put everything in to, a form of therapy that means we can transcend everything and see our creative vision more clearly.” This cathartic outlook and willingness to open up is what makes tracks like ‘Lover’s Toil’ so tender and captivating. Listen to the track below, and follow Opal Onyx on bandcamp, Spotify and Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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