LISTEN: Deaf Surf – ‘SOFA’

Exasperation and frustration fuel ‘SOFA’, the debut single from Brighton-based band Deaf Surf. Released via Slingshot Records, the strung-out, angst-ridden track is an apathetic yawn in the face of those who repeat, or preach their travelling stories to clearly uninterested listeners.

Recorded & produced by Boe Weaver at Studio Humbug on the Isle of Wight, ‘SOFA’ marks the one year anniversary of Deaf Surf’s formation, coming together in 2019 after breaking away from other bands on the Brighton scene. French front woman Manon’s raw vocals glide over the band’s post-punk infused riffs, providing a much needed disruption to the narrative she laments about.

‘SOFA’ is a necessary listen for those who need to drown out unwanted background noise and focus on starting an adventure of their own. Listen to the track below, and follow Deaf Surf on Facebook & Bandcamp for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Mentrix – ‘Nature’

A commanding, cinematic, altruistic sound; Iranian singer & composer Mentrix has shared her latest single, ‘Nature’. The track is lifted from her debut album, My Enemy, My Love, which is set for release via her own (female-led) record label, House of Strength, on 3rd April.

Born in Iran but now based in Berlin, Mentrix (aka Samar Rad) blends her experiences of eastern and western culture, along with traditional Sufi instrumentation to create her beguiling, bold soundscapes. Her extensive travels and multiple influences – from Latin and French Literature, to The Qu’ran and traditional Persian poetry – give her music a diverse and fascinating edge.

‘Nature’ is accompanied by a stunning music video, directed by Gilles Estéve and set in the Iranian desert of Kavir-e-Lut. The visuals are as captivating as the sounds they’re paired with, including the beats of the hand-played daf drums – an ancient traditional frame drum native to Iran.

Mentrix explains the meanings associated with this particular instrument: “In Sufism, the daf is a calling for the soul to awaken. It makes that big sound because it’s empty, and its emptiness means two things: on the lower level someone who is empty and has nothing to offer makes a lot of noise. On a higher level, when you are truly empty of the world the entire universe can resonate within you. It’s the dark side and the bright side of the moon in one instrument.”

The duality in Mentrix’s music is what makes her art so compelling. Watch the video for ‘Nature’ below, and follow Mentrix on Facebook & Spotify for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: BLÓM – ‘Be Kind’

Noisy, abrasive, and intensely cathartic; BLÓM are firing on all cylinders on their latest single ‘Be Kind’. Self-described as “three qt punks playing pure radge shit; with female, trans and non binary members”, the band power through four minutes of explosive riffs, intense distortion, and raging vocals on their latest offering.

‘Be Kind’ – despite its furious nature – is a reminder to be open-minded, compassionate and understanding towards issues surrounding gender, sexual identity and mental health. It’s the first single to be lifted from the band’s upcoming debut album Flower Violence, which is set for release on 1st May via Box Records.

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Sam Grant at Blank Studios, the album explores themes of queerness, feminism, gender identity, mental health, socio economic challenges, Christianity, Twin Peaks and the Fyodor Dostoyevsky novel ‘Crime and Punishment’. That’s a pretty eclectic mix of influences, so BLÓM’s debut looks set to be a diverse and empowering listen.

The band will be touring their riotous sounds across the UK in support of PIGS x7 in April and early May, so grab a ticket quick if you like what you hear. Listen to ‘Be Kind’ below, and follow BLÓM on Facebook & Spotify for more updates.

BLÓM UK Tour Dates 2020 (Supporting PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS)
Apr 16 Manchester Gorilla (SOLD OUT)
Apr 17 Birmingham The Mill
Apr 18 Bristol Thekla (SOLD OUT)
Apr 24 Leeds Stylus
Apr 25 Glasgow St Luke’s
Apr 29 Nottingham Rescue Rooms (SOLD OUT)
Apr 30 London Electric Ballroom
May 1 Brighton Concorde 2 (SOLD OUT)

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: BABii – ‘Beast’

In her new dreamy electro single ‘Beast’, Margate-based artist and producer BABii arranges a harmonious meeting spot where stretched synths and longing lyrics dance in the air. With a tasteful distance between sounds, BABii’s production footprint is minimalistic and distinctive – painting a rather vast soundscape within a lo-fi/bedroom-pop context.

Creating the ideal quirky bedroom palette, and then expanding upon that so elegantly seems quite natural to BABii as she resembles experimental artists like FKA Twigs and Clairo. Her eerie bass that tiptoes beneath the mix sets the temperature in which the emotionally icy song sits. Building from the song’s start, the instruments seem to slowly gather and linger to then hit hard as ever in BABii’s in-your-face chorus. Polyrhythmic relationships between the song’s vocal melodies and instrumentals make for a fascinating and emotive evolution of the ‘Beast’. This bubbling sonic space mirrors the yearning feelings BABii suggests in her lyrics discussing distance and its push and pull side effects.

Being in “the belly of the beast” is emotionally confrontational and cathartic as BABii’s ‘Beast’ unravels and brings light to its true narrative. 

 

iii, the upcoming new EP from BABii, is out 27th March. Catch her live this week:

4th March – London, Lafayette supporting Grouplove
5th March – Newcastle, Cobalt

Jillian Goyeau
@jillybxxn

Photo Credit: Daisy Warne and Gus Sharpe

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