Track Of The Day: LOTIC – ‘Hunted’

Described as a “high-camp, very abstract take on Queen of the Damned meets Lost Boys,” Berlin-based Lotic has shared a new video for their single ‘Hunted’. Directed by Matt Lambert who gave the above explanation, the dark, sensual, delightfully disturbing set of visuals are the perfect accompaniment to Lotic’s altruistic sound.

The opening lyrics to ‘Hunted’ – “brown skin / masculine frame / head’s a target / actin’ real feminine / make ’em vomit” – provided the perfect context for Lambert’s video: “We had this spontaneous idea of a cursed deity whose strength and sexual energy is fuelled by the souls of bougie white boys they seduced, and then murdered ritualistically in a small beach resort town.” This gritty backdrop is made all the more alluring by Lotic’s mesmerising beats and well-crafted electronics.

‘Hunted’ will feature on Lotic’s debut album Power, which is set to be released via Tri Angle Records on 13th July. “It originally started as an empowerment album,” explains Lotic. “I felt that I needed to offer something outside of myself, as sort of a healing moment.” Power will also be released on limited edition vinyl, housed in a die cut sleeve designed by Marwan Kaabour and will feature a vinyl only exclusive track called ‘Burn A Print’.

Watch the video for ‘Hunted’ below and pre-order your copy of Lotic’s Power here.

Follow Lotic on Facebook for more updates.

Photo credit: Matt Lambert

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: BLÓM – ‘Skank Witch’

If you’re a fan of Newcastle’s Tough Tits, you’re definitely going to approve of Blóm, who define themselves as “three cute punks playing pure radge shit.” Together, Erika, Liz and Helen (both formerly Tough Tits) create experimental noise-punk and they’ve shared a devious example of their abilities on latest single ‘Skank Witch’.

Taken from the band’s debut two-track EP POWERFRAU/SKANK WITCH which they released via Hominid Sounds, the new single and accompanying video explore themes of politics, oppression, mental health, abuse and the idea of being an outsider. Embracing the label of “QT punx” (queer/trans punk), Blóm clash masculine & feminine ideals in both their style and aesthetic, projecting chaos, conflict and discomfort onto their audiences whilst simultaneously asking: “does any of it actually fucking matter?”

The band will support their debut launch with a weekend of UK gig dates, followed
by an extended UK summer tour with Newcastle-based noisemakers Okay Champ. Check Blóm’s Facebook page for more details and listen to ‘Skank Witch’ below.

You can purchase Blóm’s 2 track EP from Bandcamp.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LIVE: Petrol Girls – Shacklewell Arms, London 25.04.18

Loud, lethal and life-affirming, Petrol Girls‘ headline show at The Shacklewell Arms on Wednesday night was a  furious, raw, frenzy of noise. The band, who recently signed to Hassle Records, packed out the venue with the help of their friends Pretty Pistol and Screaming Toenail (aka our new favourite band.)

Adorned in a Dream Nails band tee, Petrol Girls’ front-woman Ren was energy incarnate, pushing girls in the crowd to the front with electrifying stage presence. Fans of Dream Nails’ may have noticed the familiar face of their vocalist Janey in the crowd too, stood at the front alongside several other fans, all of whom had their eyes fixed on the stage.

Together, Liepa, Joe, Zock & Ren tore through a set-list that included tracks ‘False Peace’, ‘Treading Water’, ‘Restless’ and ‘Phallocentric’ – all taken from their 2016 debut Talk Of Violence. The songs topics range from militant disregard for oppressive patriarchal values, to a refreshingly loud promotion of female sexual pleasure. On new single ‘Survivor’, the band continue to tackle the issue of sexual violence. Ren prefaced the track with words of solidarity to survivors of this abuse and urged them to remember that just because something bad has happened to you – you are not defined by your trauma.

Between songs, Ren also spoke of her activism – which includes an essay in a collection titled ‘Nasty Women’ – and told her crowd that it’s okay to say “NO” to fascists and oppressors, whether that’s in political or personal spheres. It seems there’s no differentiation between the two for Petrol Girls and closing song ‘Touch Me Again’ proved how vehemently they believe this. The track’s visceral live delivery made it impossible not to chant in unison with Ren as she repeatedly screamed the line “Touch me again, and I will fucking kill you!” She finished the gig on her knees, sweating, smiling and probably exhausted, but the crowd around her and her band mates lit up with rounds of congratulatory applause.

Petrol Girls are a talented band with an uncompromising ability to motivate, entertain and inspire listeners to speak out against all forms of injustice. Their furious blend of aggressive, cathartic, punk songs had more than the desired effect on their crowd at The Shacklewell Arms, and we can’t wait to catch them live again. See you at the front next time.

Follow Petrol Girls on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Projector – ‘Break Your Own Heart’

A thundering blur of aggressively melodic sound, Brighton trio Projector have shared their latest single ‘Break Your Own Heart’ via Roadkill Records. Together, Lucy Sheehan (bass/vocals), Edward Ensbury (guitar/vocals) and Demelza Mather (drums) combine elements of grunge, shoe-gaze and post-punk to create their manic aural head rushes.

After a string of sold out hometown shows and support slots with Tigercub, Demob Happy, Deap Vally and Kane Strang, Projector are due to release their debut EP later this year. The trio were awarded funding from the PRS Rebalance scheme, a project run in conjunction with Festival Republic which promotes gender equality both on stage and in the studio.

Listen to ‘Break Your Own Heart’ below.

 

‘Break Your Own Heart’ is available on limited edition cassette (order here) and on the usual digital platforms now.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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