Plug Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 “When you see a band you really like, the reason you really like them is because you wish you’d had that idea. And when I saw Battles I thought, “Damn! Why didn’t I think of that?” Battles fan Brian Eno BATTLES came together in New York in 2002 drawing together disparate strands of hardcore, avant garde tonal minimalism, neo-classical, techno and post rock, featuring drummer John Stanier (Helmet), guitarists Ian Williams (Don Caballero) and Dave Konopka (Lynx) and Tyondai Braxton. After a string of EPs, the group signed to WARP and released their debut MIRRORED in 2007. The success of the album was immediate and profound. BBC Music called BATTLES “the best band on Earth today” and Pitchfork awarded the album an impressive 9.1, bestowing the Best New Music seal of approval on it. NME were equally enthusiastic, stating: “MIRRORED is the sort of album that the sharp rock kids will be citing as an inspiration in a decade’s time”, while TIME Magazine made it their # 7 album of the year. During the winter of 2009, the band decamped to the Machines with Magnets studio in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, to start work on a follow up. They recorded nearly an entire album, and by Autumn 2010 were ready to start mixing when things came off the rails. It was at this point that Braxton realised he just couldn’t commit to the overwhelming touring schedule that was due to follow the release of their much anticipated second album and quit the band. The existence of BATTLES revolves around one key construct: that BATTLES as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts...even if those parts all happened to be particularly beautifully constructed and intricately interlocking. BATTLES was bigger than any four of them individually and would continue. With Braxton gone they began the unenviable process of unweaving all of his parts from the whole in order to construct something entirely new from what remained. The remaining three realized that they now had natural space on some tracks to invite guest vocalists to contribute. And only an endlessly curious band like BATTLES could have assembled such a variety of talented, well respected and diverse singers. Appearing on the album is the UK’s dark synth pop pioneer Gary Numan; Chilean born Kompakt minimal techno producer Matias Aguayo; cult indie rocker Kazu Makino of Blonde Redhead; and Yamantaka Eye, the messianic dreadlocked front man of Japanese cosmiche future beat unit, the Boredoms. It is true that GLOSS DROP is a bewitching, entrancing album that defies both categorization and easy analysis. Just as MIRRORED was a massive leap on from the early EPs that first got them noticed, this is truly another seismic shift, propelling them once more into uncharted territory. The opening track Africastle provides a bridge between their debut and a dazzling new sound. Some will undoubtedly be wondering if the three-piece BATTLES will now necessarily feel a lot lighter but this is the densest track they have recorded to date. Ice Cream’s neat trick is to rope in the impish minimal techno DJ, Matias Aguayo, and use him solely on vocals. This track, which will be the first single, unveils a mischievous sense of fun that now lies at the centre of the BATTLES sound, coming on like the soundtrack to a raucous, moonlit beach party in Brazil, matching the inventiveness of 21st Century prog with the lilt of 1960s Tropicalia. My Machines features Tubeway Army’s soulful voice of dark future shock Gary Numan adding weight and clarity to an intensely muscular tribal rhythm section. The iconic singer responsible for the number one singles Cars and ‘Are Friends Electric?’ paid tribute to the groupn: “Working with BATTLES was an easy choice for me. They have a unique approach to making music and a clear idea of what they want. They are inventive, adventurous, unpredictable and I'm proud to be involved.” And it is this sheer sense of fun, unpredictability and inventiveness that sets BATTLES apart from every other contemporary group. Stanier sums this up succinctly: “I don’t think challenging, new music has to be super serious all the time. That’s really boring to me and pushing boundaries should not be boring.” While other acts are content to deal in revivalism or stasis, BATTLES are still looking for far-off boundaries to study and then demolish, searching for new and exotic styles to mesh together. Supports tbc Tickets are available at the Plug Box Office or online http://www.the-plug.com/events-and-tickets/live/battles £12.50 adv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lomaxkinesis Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Oh yes! Missed them the last time they played Sheffield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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