Swelter

Influences

Motorik (especially “Fur Immer (Forever)” by Neu!) and dubstep (in general)

Story

This was an unfinished track from 2016 – years before I was Restless Mosaic – built on a weird acoustic guitar tuning that then was too weird for the final track. It’s named Swelter because it was really hot when I wrote it.

But the concept from the beginning was motorik-ish sounds morphing into dubstep-ish sounds without adding any instrumentation.  I think of genres at the same BPM as being next-door neighbors, and while their interaction is usually restricted to borrowing sugar and eggs like it’s 1958 American television, I like to invite them both round for eating a cooked sugar-egg product.  And that’s what you’ll hear throughout the album – generally sounding like a band decided to switch its style up midstream.

Oh, and this might have the world’s only xylophone+Jupiter-8 call and response hook.

Some press about it

I learned from the reviews that an album’s first track gets reviewed disproportionately highly. That’s a tip for all you musicians out there – they will say something about the first track, and if you’re lucky they’ll say something about the final third of the album.

“Swelter [starts] off the record with an almost train engine-like sound that builds steam before settled beats and an energetic and vibrant pace sets in. The electro-dance output gradually builds up layers through synths and a central piece of a xylophone type sound. It’s not as weird as it sounds but is definitely unique, and somehow really works, especially in the breakdown sections where things get eerie yet addictive.” – Jamie Parmenter, Vinyl Chapters

“Sets the mood here with an almost folk tone with interesting rhythms and drum patterns that make you feel like you’re at a rave in 1832.” – Now Hear This

Next song: Foggy Drain (Saponified)