Track Of The Day: VISCERENE – ‘Zeros and Ones’

An ominous reflection on the way that technology influences our behaviour, industrial/electronic duo VISCERENE have shared their debut single ‘Zeros and Ones’. With a sound reminiscent of Pretty Hate Machine-era Nine Inch Nails, the track is a brooding cacophony of chaotic synth textures and glitchy beats, exploring what happens to our thought processes when we spend too much time online.

Formed of Charlie Beddoes and John Briginshaw, VISCERENE is the sound of two experienced musicians navigating new sonic territory on their own terms. Briginshaw is a session drummer, who wanted to create music instead of just playing songs by other people. Beddoes is a bassist and vocalist who has played in many bands, including Rub Ultra, No Santa, and most recently fronted Rock In Your Pocket and Nasty Little Lonely. Now, the pair have combined their many talents to create visceral electronic noise under their new moniker.

“‘Zeros and Ones’ is about technological determinism,” Beddoes explains about their debut offering. “The lyrics refer to how human behaviour changes because of technology, and not always for the better!” The duo explore this element of the human psyche through Beddoes’ cutting lyrics and Briginshaw’s ordered yet erratic percussion.

As well as forming this new project, Beddoes has recently released her memoir, Overdriven, which is described as “the true story of a girl with a dirty bass sound and more ambition than sense”. Her book is full of fascinating anecdotes about the 80s and 90s rock scenes, as well as her own experiences of being a women in rock and alternative music spheres. You can buy a copy here.

Listen to ‘Zeros and Ones’ below.

Follow VISCERENE on bandcampSpotify, Facebook and Youtube

Kate Crudgington
@kcbobcut

Track Of The Day: DEBBY FRIDAY – ‘So Hard To Tell’

An altruistic mix of bittersweet vocals, glitchy beats and evocative electronics, DEBBY FRIDAY has shared her latest single ‘So Hard To Tell’. Taken from her upcoming debut album, GOOD LUCK, which is set for release on 24th March via Sub Pop, the Nigerian-born, Toronto-based artist’s track is a candid reflection on growth and the indecision encountered along the way, explored through her magnetic vocals and candid lyrics.

“I have a lower register and speak with vocal fry, so I don’t know what came over me when I made this track,” Friday explains about ‘So Hard To Tell’. “I have never in my life sung like this before and I had no idea I could even make these kinds of sounds with my voice. There’s no pitch effects, it’s all me.” Differing dramatically from her previous sounds on EPs BITCH PUNK and DEATH DRIVE, this single further showcases Friday’s talent for traversing unknown territory and totally acing it.

The track is accompanied by a video, co-directed by Kevan Funk and featuring Friday in many magnificent forms, effortlessly commanding attention wherever she goes. Her upcoming album, which was co-produced and mixed by Graham Walsh (METZ, Holy Fuck) at Candle Recording Studio in Toronto, and mastered by Heba Kadry in New York, documents Friday’s fascinating journey from being a self-proclaimed “club rat” to a multi-disciplinary artist. The record will be co-released with a short film of the same name, co-directed by Friday and Nathan De Paz Habib. Friday will also be playing a UK show on 3rd May at Corsica Studios, with support from GROVE.

Watch the video for ‘So Hard To Tell’ below.

Follow DEBBY FRIDAY on bandcampSpotifyTwitterInstagram & Facebook

Debby Friday Tour Dates 2023
Sat. Jan. 21 – Montreal, QC – La Sala Rossa w/ Pelada
Fri. Feb. 17 – Toronto, ON – Boiler Room
Wed. Mar. 15-18 – Austin, TX – SXSW
Fri, Mar. 24 – Montreal, QC – Phi Centre
Sat. Mar 25 – Toronto, ON – Garrison
Wed. Apr. 12 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
Thu. Apr. 13 – Seattle, WA – Barboza
Fri. Apr. 14 – Los Angeles – Zebulon
Sat. Apr. 15 – Vancouver – Cobalt
Wed. Apr. 19 – Brooklyn, NY – Babys Alright
Thurs. Apr. 20 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
Wed. May 03 – London, UK – Corsica Studios w/ Grove

Photo credit: Katrin Braga

Kate Crudgington
@kcbobcut

LIVE: Katie Malco – The Lexington, London 25.11.22

“I was going to wear a wedding dress, but I thought that would only be funny for about two minutes” joked Katie Malco to her sold out crowd at The Lexington last Friday night. Comparing her headline show to the nuptials she said she was unlikely to have, the Northampton songwriter delivered passionate renditions of her indie-folk anthems alongside interjections of wry humour – her denim jacket and its leather tassels proving to be a better choice of garment than a white dress anyway.

In contrast to the overcrowded bar downstairs full of World Cup fans, Malco’s audience were the perfect mix of “quiet and energetic” as she acknowledged towards the end of her set. It’s easy to be attentive when someone’s voice is so captivating – her clear vocals and poignant lyrics cutting through at all the right moments. Playing songs from her debut album, Failures, which she described as a mixture of “cock rock and sad ballads” – aka “salads” – Malco opened with the anthemic ‘Animals’, setting the bar high for the rest of her performance.

Despite having to “talk shop” about a few tech problems between songs, Malco and her band played together effortlessly and undeterred by their monitor issues. Usually accustomed to performing alone, the songwriter clearly enjoyed having the backing of a full band to enhance the impact of songs like ‘Let’s Go To War’, ‘September’, ‘TW’ and ‘Brooklyn’. Her “salads” were equally as impressive though, with gentler tracks ‘Night Avenger’ and the tender ‘Peckham’ proving to be real set highlights. She even provided an early festive treat with a solo rendition of ‘Be Good At Xmas’ too.

With a sold out London gig marking the end of her recent UK tour, Malco playfully asked “does this mean I’m a big deal now?” and after that set, we genuinely think she might be.

Follow Katie Malco on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Facebook & Instagram

Photo Credit: Robin Hardman

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

EP: Dayydream – ‘Bittersweet’

A tender reflection on the transient nature of emotions and our attachments to other people, Glasgow-based songwriter Chloe Trappes aka Dayydream has self-released her debut EP, Bittersweet. Filled with delicate guitar strokes, dreamy vocals and affecting lyrics, Trappes ruminates on distance and desire across five tracks, and the way these things can shift our perspective towards ourselves, and to others over time.

Influenced by the likes of Elliott Smith, Nick Drake, Mazzy Star, Neil Young and Slowdive, Trappes creates music under her Dayydream moniker to distract herself, but simultaneously explore the troubled state of mind she craves relief from. “I’d do anything / to keep hold of that feeling” she reveals on Bittersweet‘s tender opening track ‘Disintegrate’, clinging to a moment that has already passed. Her soft guitar picking compliments the “up and down” nature of the tumultuous mood she describes in the song.

An aching melancholy underscores the poignant ‘Wasn’t’, which reflects on the pain of leaving behind someone who isn’t good for you. The rainfall sound effect that seeps in and out of the song enhances the feelings of isolation Trappes sings of, and bleeds into the equally as confessional ‘How Lonely’. Whilst the lyrics in these tracks can be dispiriting, Trappes’ calm, clear vocals and considered, dreamy instrumentation prevent them from feeling too heavy. She relies on her dream-pop tendencies to soften the sharpness of her observations, with the gloomy but graceful ‘Cursed’ epitomising this outlook.

“Daydreaming can be a positive or a negative,” Trappes comments on the inspiration behind her moniker. “It can be a way to invent an imagined universe, a safe place to stay sane and distracted from the chaos of the real world. However, it can also cause a person to retreat, creating a disconnect in their lives.” On closing track ‘Sweet Release’, Trappes beautifully balances these conflicting states, yearning for escape and relief, whilst feeling overwhelmed by the reality of being “so broken” at the time of writing.

An intuitive, affecting collection of songs that drift through the exquisite highs and intangible lows we experience on the path towards emotional resilience, Dayydream’s debut EP is a comforting and blissful ode to feeling in all of its intensity.

Follow Dayydream on bandcamp, Spotify, TwitterInstagram

Photo Credit: Eléonore Marty-Guiraud

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut