Toronto electro-psych group DOOMSQUAD have returned with a new track and video for General Hum. BrooklynVegan describes the track as “a dose of funky futurism that is part Talking Heads, part Will Powers, with dollops of ’90s house and early-’00s dancerock,” – yep, that’s pretty accurate. The track is out now, alongside its enthralling Zak Tatham-directed video, to announce the band’s new forthcoming album ‘Let Yourself Be Seen,’ which is due for release on 5/10/2019 via Royal Mountain Records & Bella Union. Watch the video clip via YouTube below.
Commenting on the track and video, the said:
Commenting on the track and video, the said: “We wanted to expand further on the idea of a post-identity hybrid-corporeality sense of oneness which we elude to in the album cover photo, and is mutually experienced by many in the nocturnal hours on a dance floor. Riffing on the source of much of our creative power: our siblinghood, and seeing how we could push that creative power further, we envisioned a state where we could go beyond the liminalities imposed by our bodies, genders, and senses of self. This state, or future form, (actually its quite archaic) is a merging of our beings into an all-powerful super body. It’s bare and vulnerable, with its mechanisms exposed for all to see, yet is perfectly suited for the world today; in its multi-faceted communal nature, it’s strong enough to take on all forces. Let Yourself Be Seen!”
Even this far into the 21st century, the recent social media furore surrounding US congresswoman and free-style dancer Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez illustrated that the spectacle of someone dancing without compunction can still ruffle the right (and alt-right) feathers. In which case, all hail the third album from Toronto’s ardent, art-dance sibling trio DOOMSQUAD. Due for release via Bella Union on May 10th, ‘Let Yourself Be Seen’ is the most assertive, ambitious, groove-sodden declaration of intent yet from Trevor, Jaclyn and Allie Blumas: the sound of dance floor believers and thinkers firing on all personal and political fronts, at a time when we need it most.
If DOOMSQUAD never lacked the courage of their convictions, ‘Let Yourself Be Seen‘ ups the stakes. On 2016’s ‘Total Time,’ the trio issued invitations to free your mind, body and spirit over dirty bass-lines and hypnotic disco jams. And yet, their reliance on unspoken sibling intuition left them fearing that much of its “message and meaning” had gone unheard. Thus, the trio took a more forthright approach for their third album, aiming to “crystallise what DOOMSQUAD is and what it means to us. What we always knew but put at the forefront of this record is that DOOMSQUAD is a project of protest, catharsis and emotional and spiritual reconnection through music and, especially, through dance-music culture. It’s about activating the body on the most fundamental level, into states of change, release and reunion.”
Richly steeped in the influences of acid house, West African disco, spiritual jazz, NYC no-wave and new-age ambient music, ‘Let Yourself Be Seen’ hums with a sense of vigorous, invigorating purpose. After the overture of Spandrel, General Hum sends out a buoyant new-wave rallying cry for maximised engagement just when the world seems intent on stifling it. “Is there a place for spirit anymore?” it asks. Kicking in with a percussive bustle that all but defies you to try and stand still, ‘Aimless’ answers in the affirmative.
As for the future, DOOMSQUAD will soon take ‘Let Yourself Be Seen’ to the live stage, an environment in which their convictions blaze with exhilarating life. “The dancefloor is our temple – the idea of the dancefloor as a utopian/protest space is the exact belief we carry with us. As much as we love making records, we love performing. The music we make is meant to be heard on a large sound-system. As performers, we are fuelled by the need to be in a live atmosphere.” And thrive in the live atmosphere they will, dates slated both in the US for SXSW and also a run of dates in Europe in May.
And if that need inspires others to voice their shared beliefs, such is DOOMSQUAD’s hope. “People change, ideas grow,” the band say. “And entropy is all around us. The fear that lies in the hearts of the elite patriarchy will soon die off, and the rest of us will be working together to repair what’s broken. And that is worth every bit of positive energy.” An album that honours its forebears by reaching towards a future worth fighting for, worth dancing for, ‘Let Yourself Be Seen’ has positive energy in bright, sparking, forward-thinking abundance. ‘Let Yourself Be Seen’ is available for preorder here.
Tracklist
1. Spandrel
2. General Hum
3. Aimless
4. Let It Go
5. Emma
6. Spandrel II
7. Dorian’s Closet
8. Let Yourself Be Seen
9. The Last Two Palm Trees In LA
10. Weather Patterns
Tour dates
3/14/2019 – SXSW, Austin, TX – Bella Union Showcase – Palm Door on Sabine (11PM)
3/15/2019 – SXSW, Austin, TX – ATC Party – Hotel Vegas (3:40PM)
3/17/2019 – Denton, TX – Bella Union showcase – Andy’s Bar
5/21/2019 – Rough Trade, Bristol
5/23/2019 – The Victoria, London
5/24/2019 – Sea Change Festival, Totnes
5/28/2019 – Berlin, Internet Explorer
