Formats
MM13 - LP
5061041821509
Details
In contrast to the band's previous release, New Standard, which was written around a central theme, Rhizome opens the field to many different but resonating voices. A rhizome is a root system with no established hierarchy - every part of the rhizome is equally a start and a beginning - and the songs on this album follow this same theme. There is no dominating concept but it is a tapestry of connected ideas. Picture four friends writing bits of songs and then cutting, stitching and sewing them back together. A rhizome is also an analogy for constructing social territories that resist hierarchical organization - a theme explored in some of the lyrics and also an ethos in the way the band attempts to operate. The album was written during the second half of 2024, with songs originating from 3 different songwriters. The writing process usually involved jamming and iterating on an initial rough idea until something started to take shape, with parts being added and worked out in a group setting. Most of the lyrics followed the music, and were primarily written by a single member which resulted in a wide variety of themes and ideas. The album’s first song “Illusion” alludes to the ways we are deceived by institutions and the lack of empathy shown by those in positions of power. Songs like “In it”, “Volcano” and “Ephemeral” touch on love and personal relationships. “Ego” and “Silent Seed” are songs of self-reflection and meditations on how we should live. “Apology” was inspired by a story of an anonymous apology hotline. “Stimulants”, the album’s final track, is a reflection on how we use substances to alter our perception and a response to the ongoing opioid crisis. The album was recorded live off the floor to tape (with added overdubs) in August 2024 in the studio of friend and collaborator, Mikhail Oreskov. The band’s concept for the production of the album was to try to stay true to a live band sound with limited use of heavy handed post processing, keeping sounds clear and relatively dry to allow the song writing and playing to shine. It was mixed by Michael Halls and mastered by Mikey Young. Teetering between post-punk, indie rock and pop, Rhizhome has many voices, many directions, and is a mosaic not of starts or endings but of becomings.