NEW BUILD FALSE THING

There is music in the world for all moods and for all occasions. One song that would be good for chilling out the mind and body wouldn't necessarily be appropriate for mid-set mid-night mid-season fun in Ibiza, for instance. This is quite obvious you'd think, but people actually do get it wrong sometimes because they have no sense. My point is that one genre or style should not prevail at any given time because there are hundreds of situations where that particular would work perfectly - sure there are modernisations and amalgamations within each one but the point is that you shouldn't limit yourself.

That's what I first thought anyway when I heard this song by New Build - it's quite a strange song: that was my first impression. But then I listened again and again and it grew on me pretty quickly. Before I knew it I was writing these words about it. Funny how that happens.

I didn't know anything about New Build prior to this but it's London trio made up of Tom Hopkins, Al Doyle and Felix Martin (both of whom are also in Hot Chip). Al Doyle has also happened to play guitar and bass, amongst other things, for LCD Soundsystem and you can kinda hear the same stripped down style here in 'False Thing' - especially in pummelling walking-pace bass of the verse. Liss'ntui'.

What I first noticed is the disco sound of the song, but not regular disco obviously, something a little darker. The kind of lips-curled hands-in-pockets eyes-half-open sound that bubbles with low-slung swagger. It reminded me of !!! (chk-chk-chk), who is classified as dance-punk. I wouldn't go so far as to say that about this song - there's definitely more in the way of beacon-like waves of sweeping euphoria here, yet it is indeed mixed with a sludgy impromptu disco sound. There is a simplistic and slightly murky sound in the verse, where reverbed vocals that sound almost a bit David Bowie croon over simmering synth and lo-fi, and female vocals come in supported by gloopy oil slicks of synths.

This is different to the poppy chorus, where synths play slow glimmering arpeggios and piano chords strike happy tones. And also different to the break at the end where both styles fuse together, crackling firework arpeggios against atonal bassline, where those piano chords join in once again. The sound of the song is nice and original, a fusion of styles, most noticeably a percussive disco vibe. Nice. Oh - this is the first single (out 29th July) from their second album, expected late this year.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Like New Build on Facebook
Listen to New Build on Soundcloud
Visit New Build official site
Follow New Build on Twitter
Watch New Build on YouTube