GIHE Writers – Page 105 – Get In Her Ears

LISTEN: CRISP&CLASSY – ‘Boom Bay’ (Kat Knix Remix)

Having been big fans of Feminist LGBTQIA+ electro-pop duo CRISP&CLASSY since the release of their joyous debut album XTRA CRISPY last year, we were excited to hear that they will be sharing a special remix EP, The XTRA CRISPY Remixes, this month.

Taken from the EP comes a vibrant rendition of ‘Boom Bay‘, remixed by none other than the band’s own Kat Knix. Having been featured on The Knife’s own remix album back in 2014, Knix has gone on to build her reputation as a DJ and producer, delivering epic sets across the dance music scene throughout the UK and Europe.

Propelled by glitchy beats and danceable hooks, Knix’s remix of the colourful track shines a light on ‘Boom Bay’s frenzied reggaeton energy and swirling, euphoric spirit. With the zesty addition of racing, staccato beats and choppy vocal samples, it maintains all the sensuous, soulful drive of the original with a blissful yet dark deep-house pizazz. Another playful offering, showcasing all the genre and gender bending magnificence of this wonderfully sassy duo.

Listen to Kat Knix’s remix of ‘Boom Bay’ here:

Kat Knix’s remix of CRISP&CLASSY’s ‘Boom Bay’ is out now. And, also featuring the likes of Lizette Lizette, Arnie Wrong and High Cheru, the full album The XTRA CRISPY Remixes is set for release later this month.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

June 14, 2022June 14, 2022

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Track Of The Day: A.A. Williams – ‘Evaporate’

A heavy, graceful musing on the darker side of the emotional spectrum, London-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist A.A. Williams has shared her latest single ‘Evaporate’. Taken from her upcoming second album, As The Moon Rests, which is set for release on 7th October via Bella Union, the track is a brooding blend of dramatic volume fluctuations and Williams’ effortless vocals, which mirror the raw sensitivity of her introspective lyrics.

Following on from her exquisite debut album Forever Blue (2020) and her lockdown inspired covers EP Songs From Isolation (2021), A.A. Williams’ second album looks set to be another stunning collection of cinematic, intense sounds. “Traditionally, your second album is the worry; where there’s the weight of expectation,” Williams comments, “but I must create music I like myself, and I’ve had more time on this record; I’ve felt more confidence and conviction. As The Moon Rests is both heavier and softer, there’s more texture and weight, and a string ensemble. It’s Forever Blue times ten!”

‘Evaporate’ is the first hint at what’s to come from the new record, and it’s a poetic, heavy rumination on the overwhelming nature of ones inner thoughts when they’re eventually brought to the surface. Williams prefers not to be prescriptive about the exact emotions that inform her tempestuous tracks, allowing her listeners to extrapolate on their own terms. “It’s all part of an overriding arc,” she explains about her music. “With hindsight, some songs I figure things out, others I disappear into a hole. For example, in ‘Evaporate’, I’m trying to keep a lid on fizzy complicated thoughts, which just explode. Other times, I’m more relaxed. Mostly, writing is more retrospective, not about the here and now. The lyrics are the place where I figure things out.”

Williams’ intuition for writing elusive, tender lyrics alongside powerful, instinctive volume shifts is what makes listening to her music so enthralling. Accompanied by a monochrome video directed by Fraser West, ‘Evaporate’ is a dramatic, urgent return to form for A.A. Williams who looks set to be at the top of our ‘Albums of 2022’ list already.

Watch the video for ‘Evaporate’ below.

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

Photo Credit: Thomas Williams

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

June 14, 2022June 14, 2022

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ALBUM: Horsegirl – ‘Versions Of Modern Performance’

With their debut album, Versions of Modern Performance, Horsegirl have translated the world of underground underage Chicago into 30 minutes of sludgy jubilation. Thudding drums, strangled guitar lines and catchy choruses: it’s a time-honoured formula, executed here with vigour and original flair.

The band produced this record as college freshmen and high school seniors and it is bursting with a fine balance of youthful exuberance and nuance beyond their years. Within a tight instrumental framework, the group explore a range of emphases and styles, from the more straightforward guitar pop of tunes like ‘Anti-Glory’ to textural instrumental interludes and the unusually weighted ‘Fall of Horsegirl’, in which the guitar foregrounds the vocal line.

The integrity of the artistic scene from which Horsegirl have emerged defines the sound, attitude and presentation of this music. The group are keen to champion the work of the network of fellow creatives too young to get into most concerts going on in Chicago and forced to organise shows and create among themselves. Their videos employ the talents of friends and peers who put their directorial and kitchen dancing skills to use in assertively homemade productions (check out the video for ‘Billy’). There is an infectious DIY enthusiasm in everything this band does, and this reverberates through Versions Of Modern Performance.

Undaunted by the transition from high school band to signees with heavyweight indie label Matador, the group have made a deliberate effort to remain faithful to the simple setup that has taken them this far. Describing this self-consciously as “the debut bare-bones album”, they bring the sound of their various basement rehearsal rooms to the studio. The choice of John Agnello as producer suits this aim to be true to the band’s roots, given that his CV, which includes Dinosaur Jr. and The Breeders, reads like a list of the influences you can hear working throughout the record.

Though this record takes many cues from the sound and approach of much of that American brand of alt rock that has been around since the mid-80s, the group make this sound their own. It feels like the natural outcome of three imaginative rock musicians playing in someone’s basement; an honest, instinctive debut free from contrived affectations.

Listen to Versions Of Modern Performance on bandcamp or Spotify

Follow Horsegirl on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Cheryl Dunn

Lloyd Bolton
@franklloydwleft
@lloyd_bolton

June 9, 2022

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Track Of The Day: REWS – ‘Breathe Into Me’

A cathartic anthem designed to resurrect feelings of joy and creativity, REWS have shared their latest single ‘Breathe Into Me’. Released via Earache Records, the track is full of driving beats, chunky guitar riffs and front woman Shauna Tohill’s effortlessly powerful vocals, acting as a reminder to listeners to persevere in the face of adversity.

“‘Breathe Into Me’ is a song about the revival of a broken creative spirit,” Shauna explains. “It’s been a really tough time out there for everybody over the last couple of years and for me, it definitely did change my view on a number of things. There were a few demons to battle and so this song is an autobiography of the recent times experienced. It’s influenced by hues of dark pop merged with upbeat rock. I hope it ignites your spirit as much as it did mine!”

Through her chant-worthy chorus, Shauna provides her listeners with some welcome respite from the stresses of everyday life, urging them to embrace their desire to let go and move on from whatever might be holding them back. REWS have always provided their fans with big riffs and upbeat anthems, and ‘Breathe Into Me’ flows in the same vital vein.

The new single is accompanied by a video directed and edited by Tom Dodd, featuring Shauna and her REWS band mates circling a shadowy figure who bursts into life at the close of the visuals, mirroring the energy of the song’s chorus.