TPR Featured Band-to-Watch: Less Win

Written By: Chris Parsons

“One of last year’s finest records is now finally being released digitally” was the headline that grabbed my attention on this particular release, from Copenhagen’s Less Win. One of 2012’s finest records, yet this was my first acquaintance with the international heavy psych powerhouse, a whole year late! It seems the timing is just as right as ever though, as Less Win have recently celebrated the re-release of their 2012 LP, “”Great,”” which was originally exclusively pressed to limited edition pink 12″ vinyl and self-released on their own Sixxxxx imprint. Since then, they have teamed up with Pad & Pen Records in an effort to bring the lively vinyl’s captivating sound to a wider audience and gain the exposure and reception that is deserved of such a solid debut trying to break the sometimes-stubborn scene. And while you’re just taking the plunge into this 11-track wall-of-sound masterpiece, Less Win have already been busy cooking up the next batch, as if they were cleverly expecting us all to catch on eventually, “it was all just a matter of time.” Recently the power trio has signed on to The Big Oil Recordings, joined by fellow Dutch post-punk space-jammers, Battle; the two groups are expected to release a split on TBOR, with Battle‘s single already released for an early preview of what’s in store.

Unsurprisingly, Less Win‘s darkly psychedelic, post-punk sound is right in line with the up-and-coming wave of underground rock ‘n’ roll that’s been emerging, especially observed apparently both on the U.S. east coast and within Copenhagen, Denmark (these are definitely not the only two areas, but The Process Records has been exposed to much of these sounds from these two specific geographic regions in particular; Nothing, Speedy Ortiz, Chelsea Light Moving, The Woken Trees, The Wands). This post-punk ‘wave’ seems to subconsciously blend elements of heavy psychedelia, shoegaze, punk, and even glam and “math rock”– all of which are easily referenced throughout Less Win‘s completely rollercoaster ride of an album, which is nothing short of “”Great””! Essentially, these bands are the next ‘punk,’ hardly concerned with starting any kind of scene, but just in it all for the hell of making loud-as-fuck rock ‘n’ roll– loud enough for them to let loose all their inhibitions, and the audience theirs, collectively tapping into the deep, rolling vibrations– culminating in a sonic onslaught powerful enough to strip the paint off the walls and melt brains if it didn’t tear them both right apart first. Sometimes you’ll be caught in a groove, lost somewhere in the fuzzy ragas of noisily distorted guitar and cranked bass, at times catching glimpses of lyrics bleeding in and out of the layered collage of sounds, and other times you might be compelled to let roll with a crazed old stomp-and-romp, carnally energized by the heavy force of the drums and thick bass. The intertwining frequencies all seem to melt together, venturing into a realm of krautrock-revivalist drone-soundscapes, such that they seem to create a singular entity of sound– you may even lose track that they are only three “humans” in this very alien, very cool, rock band of the future! What’s more, their digital release sounds like a vinyl mix– nice and full, vibrant sound–which really brings the whole experience alive, as if you were actually there, in some dim lit basement dense with bodies that feebly attempt to absorb and deflect the sound, perhaps more likely surrendering and becoming one with it.

TPR Music Video Premier: Oracle O. – “Voodoo Walk”

Written By: Chris Parsons

The rise of Copenhagen’s power duo,  Oracle O., introduces a fresh contender to the international, psychedelic and underground music scenes of 2013. The two-piece has recently signed a record deal to our favorite Norwegian label, Fuzz Club Records (The Wands, Dead Skeletons, Singapore Sling), with plans to release their debut LP, “Cracking the Eyes,” this April. In the meantime, Oracle O. has leaked their first single by way of an artistic music video for “Voodoo Walk,” which was directed by Eva Mulvad, who was recently a recipient of the World Cinema Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007.

Overtop scenes of Afghanistan culture, the video is stylized as a mini-documentary of real people and places, as “Voodoo Walk” fuels the cinematics with a high-tail psychedelic energy. The track opens up with a plane landing as a steady, tribal-esque drum beat pulses into the foreground and a minor pentatonic riff  that curiously recalls the aesthetics of both traditional Oriental music and surf rock. Female vocals are then introduced and accompanied by the drums as the lyrics, complimented by the visuals, begin to paint a vague scene of doom-and-gloom. This opening sound is very much reminiscent of the early White Stripes, especially the snarling, bluesy vocals of Madeleïne Käte McGowan, the female incarnation of Jack White. The guitar then kicks in with a very warbly fuzz, droning and grooving on warm harmonics in the background. All the while, the incessant, tribal funk drumming assumes the subtle, yet propulsive earworm nature of a krautrock pulse. McGowan’s vocals become increasingly heated and infused with a contagious energy, as the instrumental intensity of the guitar and drums builds towards an angry, wailing climax. As an introduction, Oracle O.‘s writing style for “Voodoo Walk,” much like its members, seems to exhibit strengths in minimalism, while the heady tone of their garage rock fuzz and kraut percussion creates an electric air of energy boiling over.