WTCHS / Das Rad split on Perdu records

The future holds some serious changes for WTCHS. I first came across these guys as part of a four way split on Out of Sound Records and loved their choice to record their dark post-punk in such a damaged, raw style. They stood out being so committed to this extreme sound, like Lust For Youth, it was a deliberate choice, especially now hearing this latest. They way they used fidelity as another element in setting this mood is headed into the studio this coming year and I'm really interested to hear how this sound is going to evolve. A good split should also introduce a similar band to fans of either side and Das Rad take a crisper studio approach, full of dense layers of a different kind.

A-Side's WTCHS "Overkilmer/Some Girls" fades into feedback or just a single sine wave tone that leads straight to damaged underwater rock, the greatest pop song swirling under a haze of pop psych peering out of the fog of an old AM radio or from the neighbors walls next door sounding even more mysterious but so catchy. They have a great sense of dark pop while adding fuzzy layers of mystery not letting you in to clearly witness this like a heavier dense Blessure Grave. I was listening to the bandcamp version of the tracks and this could only be improved on a lathe cut. It's throbbing the whole time, buried guitars that run right into what must be the "Some Girls" part of this that's even darker in new ways. Never in obvious goth elements this even has a crazy energy with straining vocals that become another instrument unintelligible, just vocalizations at this point. Fucking great, I love this texture especially since they seem to be putting things to vinyl based directly on their live experience. Wish they would venture south from Hamilton, Ontario to the busted ceiling tiled space of Death by Audio.

Das Rad's side opens with "Space Cake" which is infinitely clearer and punchy, blowing in with dirty fuzzed out and glitching guitars over sludgy vocals in this faster tempo offering. Still impossible to make out lyrics under the levels of distortion but like peeling off the earplugs after WTCHS. Things aren't much more optimistic though this comes off as a more aggressive vision of the apocalypse. Feedback opens "Heavy Flow" and a tom tambourine beat in some kind of doom psych? That's a new one. Heavy guitar chunks and more feminine and melodic vocals, a buried hazy English sound with lots of 'da da's' even, how'd they end up in this underwater sunny place in an endgame that Jesus and Mary Chain started. This is super catchy, a pumped up MBV, insanely dense with subdued roaring like a muffled crowd of wild animals. The echo evenly bouncing between the headphones I'm envious of the amount of sound they can tame here. The tracks barely have time to fade out trying to get these both on this single. Excellent tracks from both should lead to a repress or even full lengths soon?

Pick this up from Perdu Records if they have any left.

PIE split series on Out of Sound Records

Adam from Out of Sound Records let me know about a four way split they just put out. #2 in an ongoing split series showcasing some incredible talent from up north, a place very underrepresented on this site I have to say. No thanks to the US postal service...but Adam has put together a perfect reason for the split single, 4 bands I've never heard of, right up my alley of loud, post punk math with a duo or two thrown in for good measure.

Bleet kicks this off with "Feno Barbitol"... full of crazy bass lines, super dirty, recorded on another level... then this track gets chopped right into the food processor in a fit of ultra technical post rock on lots of speed. Racing through scales, perched together on the edge of a cliff ready to tumble over, a crazy burst of instrumental awesomeness.
Wild Domestic does "Old Water Sports"...a slow electric melody buildS alongside pounding drums and this is squarely post rock, heavier and spaced out a little more, taking the time to repeat and build on the last measure. Taking drastic turns but not the technical workout of those guys in Bleet but still all about the Chicago equations and this goes right along with Canyons of Static by the way, who I recommend to anyone into any one of these guys (I just talked to Ross for a future podcast). They really speed things up to get 4 tracks on this single but then again that makes sense in this Precise Math Age, why weren't there more of these bursts of complexity in the hey day of this avant rock stuff. Glad to hear it, I can go wayyyy down this road once I come across an inspiring impetus like this. They pack plenty of changes into this brief half a side but don't go over the top with distortion or droning sustain, it's tight with an almost surf reverb to this... Oh Don Cab I miss you too. I'm coming.

B-Side's WTCHS starts off with "Future Fires" and a thick live rehearsal room sound at least in the vocals and damaged drums. Super lo-fi with the instruments all recorded separately in this punk way that keeps things clean ...it's layers of hiss and junk, like the crashing cymbals (which could be machine they come off with such a pile of hiss) but it's carefully captured, not all blown out afer the fact. Hardcore sounding, yelling vocals in a dark way, getting great feedback squeals, a lot like Lync grew up but still has that slight experimental edge, a female vocal comes in like Divorce, a great combination of sounds and she's working in this far off distanced place, giving it all harmony. I love the mathy section at the end, guitar loops unwinding...just for a second though.
Next up, I Smell Blood "Nick Workman's 5 best features" which is a heavy scuzz guitar and bashing drums. Technical... almost fret tapping out the buzzy notes, there's a big effects chain wired up to this, a lot like Lightning Bolt or Japanther, change up the melodies in a classic heavy rock way and then go metal and post rock all over the place...this is a damn fine single with amazing examples of a whole fucking sound that I thought was being completely ignored. Bring it back.

Get it from Out if Sound Records. I hear they're running low.

Of course there's higher causes going on behind the scenes in association with this record including:

This record was silkscreened by the Arctic based, Inuit Silkscreen program run by the Out of Sound Rezonance Program. The Out of Sound Rezonance Program is an initiative to raise what all the hearts of aboriginal youth can imagine possible. We aim to provide hands-on professional development for artistically and business oriented youth. Through paid internships, guided by a knowledgeable professional, Out of Sound Rezonance hires and trains youth in culturally appropriate ways to develop their creative abilities and entrepreneurial skills through community outreach programs, while also focusing on the development of their capacity to work independently, organize, become leaders, improve self-esteem, and foster the love of art.