Sao Paolo’s Firefriend pump out material like a well-tuned factory because ‘Decreation Facts’ is their seventh LP since 2016. The LP will be released digitally on March 21, 2023 and on vinyl in May via Little Cloud Records and Cardinal Fuzz.
Firefriend are Julia Grassetti on bass, C. Ameral on drums and Yury Hermuche on guitar. The tight trio create soundscapes which captivate and have redefined the psychedelic shoegaze genre by pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved and placing no limits on their work.
Recorded by the band in their garage between late 2021 and early 2022, it deals with intense themes not many are willing to tackle such as the rise of fascism, the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts, virtual reality, environmental disaster and the third world war -always through symbols and indirect references, which only makes it more poignant. After all, there is not much to be cheerful about for a lot of the world’s population right now, so why not embrace what is going on around us.
When asked about the evocative cover art and the themes present the band explain “that strange figure made of twisted debris suggests several things. Like everything else in this century, truth and interpretation are being mixed, sometimes it looks like an object; or a new form of life; maybe a person in armour, or a new robot. We’re not sure what it is, and this uncertainty, like the uncertainty about what a human being is, is the kind of question our XXI century is forcing on us. Now, when we are so well crafted to create and destroy, whether it is new forms of life or reality itself. ‘Decreation Facts’ is our testimony of the times, we’re writing music right now and we’re all deeply shocked by how this mad century is unfolding. “Destruction” is the word… destruction either by accident, disaster or sheer brute force. We hope that cover brings up all these questions, as they have shaped all these new sounds.”
Opener Rainbow hypnotises and haunts, with a riff which hooks deep intro your cerebral cortex. Acid Rain High-Speed Clouds, as its name suggests, is a high energy track that would fill dancefloors across the globe. The Lost Decade is a piece of pure nostalgia but could never be accused of being boring and yet Outer Limits and Infrared channel the softer elements of space rock. Given the themes present the aptly named closing track ‘We’re Going In the Wrong Direction,’ features ethereal distorted guitar and electronics and completes the feeling of needing to escape that’s been present throughout. Watch the video for Outer Limits via YouTube below.
For more information on Firefriend, visit https://firefriend.bandcamp.com.
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