LA four-piece Dummy, named after Portishead’s 1994 trip-hop masterclass, have been turning heads since their intriguing debut album, Obligatory Enjoyment, in 2021. Combining lo-fi noise pop, krautrock, and retro-futurism, the forward-thinking album, and the following two songs for the Sub Pop Singles Membership, demonstrated their drive and weirdness — giving us a style of the avant-garde experimentalism that made the band — Alex Ewell, Emma Maatman, Nathan O’Dell, and Joe Trainor — ones to look at. The follow-up, their sophomore album Free Power, out right now through Hassle In Thoughts Information, presents up a change of tempo that makes good on its title. All through its 12 tracks, Dummy haven’t any intention of constructing the identical file twice, turning away from the couch-locking magnetism of their debut LP and as an alternative celebrating motion — a shift that, whether or not via wobbly torrents of noise, an irresistible pop refrain, or droning beats that appear to unfurl infinitely, feels profoundly gratifying. It’s music meant to make you are feeling extra alive, sounding each slicker and extra pressing whereas remaining fully disorienting.
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Under, Dummy gave us larger perception into Free Power’s trance-y pleasure by breaking down each tune.
“Intro-UB”
With Free Power, we did not wanna repeat concepts we had already mined on Obligatory Enjoyment. We begin off with one thing extra trance-inducing, uptempo, and that will get your physique transferring, versus the extra inner-looking “Protostar.” “Intro-UB” is influenced by Guitar’s file Sunkissed, utilizing guitar in a extra edited/digital method, not simply somebody strumming chords. We actually loved the method of chopping up the audio for the vocals and guitars.
“Soonish…”
“Soonish…” was the quickest tune that got here collectively for the file. We needed to make a monitor that evoked the time the place rave/dance music and rock music had been being blended in a novel method like Curve, Chapterhouse, and naturally MBV. The beat got here first with the chord being constructed over prime of it. We needed to blast out the gate with the primary “actual” tune, therefore the suggestions roaring into what can also be probably the most simple pop tune on the file.
“Unshaped Highway”
Early on, we had been engaged on a extra downtempo tune that ended up being trashed ’trigger it simply wasn’t coming collectively. We knew we needed to proceed attempting to do one thing alongside these traces. A whole lot of issues got here collectively within the studio, just like the NIN guitar noise within the intro, together with how we manipulated guitars into sounding like a violin/cello. This tune additionally appears like a brand new temper for us, extra sinister, however nonetheless retains the pop with Emma’s hovering refrain hook. Pablo’s Eye actually knowledgeable this tune, an absurdly underrated band. The lyrical content material is the concept of being so low to the place you are feeling nothing however can simply substitute that vacancy with tangible objects.
“Opaline Bubbletear”
This monitor serves as an intro/segue into “Blue Dada,” that includes a characteristically Dummy ambient improvisation. Our bud Cole Pulice contributed the otherworldly saxophone. We had the distinction of performing these two tracks stay with Cole a number of occasions within the Bay Space previous to recording the album. We actually needed to carry extra buddies in on the file — Cole’s music is among the few present artists all of us agree fucking guidelines.
“Blue Dada”
This was the primary tune that got here collectively for the file, the rattling sorta broke after struggling to put in writing one thing that excited us all. The tune initially was simply the second half of the tune, and Alex had the concept to take a number of the chords and reconfigure them over the beat. What got here out was very a lot indebted to our love of Seefeel/Bowery Electrical in the best way they used guitars as noise turbines. The second half is sort of a Feelies monitor b/w of hardcore. It is a tremendous enjoyable tune to play, but in addition felt actually arduous to nail within the studio after taking part in it stay a lot.
“Nullspace”
Once we had been recording in February, we had two separate six-day runs of studio time, and “Nullspace” was written in between these two periods. Nathan despatched a easy demo together with his melody and bass. A tune about organisms with totally different molecular makeups forming collectively to make mutant shapes. An actual “entire is larger than the sum of all components” strategy. We took that and simply constructed the tune round that. It was one of many magical songs the place little accidents occurred to tell the ultimate product. Alex by chance clicked the guitar loop on and off in time, the bubble sounds had been made on a second-hand drum machine, and eventually the super-fried guitar ending. It was all simply grabbing concepts out of the aether.
“Minus World”
It is uncommon a contemporary band actually evokes Dummy instantly, however this tune’s preliminary instrumental was impressed by watching Lewsberg’s set from Gonerfest final 12 months that was streamed on YouTube. The bridge options one other characteristically Dummy suggestions part. For us, suggestions is a supply of infinite prospects, providing inherent randomness and a extremely expressive sound. For this tune, we needed the suggestions to take over, leaving all semblance of tune for just a few seconds, earlier than crashing again down on the finish. One other Dummy traditional concerning the destruction of landscapes from human occupation in pure worlds.
“Dip In The Lake”
It is fascinating what number of totally different variations of this tune there are from the very a lot “All Tomorrow’s Events” demo model that was all droned out and druggy, to the tour model the place an abbreviated model “Sudden Flutes” was nonetheless part of the tune. To the ultimate LP model that is kinda Cluster meets Steve Reich. The songs on FE are extra private of their material, early Dummy stuff was extra concerning the exterior world however this one actually contends extra with our interior worlds.
“Sudden Flutes”
This tune additionally went via a bunch of various variations however what we settled on was us taking part in it stay within the studio, which we have not executed earlier than. We needed to have a extra ramshackled really feel after the very spacey droned out “Dip In The Lake”. The tune ends with wind synths carried out by Cole Pulice, their second look on the file. This tune was impressed by wanting a quick sub one-minute punk tune on the file, which is one thing Mystic 100’s did on their latest masterful file, and that rather a lot together with Dadamah spurred the genesis of this tune.
“Psychic Battery”
I feel most individuals would assume the washy pad sound is a synth, it is truly a guitar run via the filter, with a bunch of results to get that ambient texture. The tune appears like a hymn, hushed and sacred. It is one other considerably trip-hop-influenced tune that was very a lot knowledgeable by our love of Hydroplane, Windy & Carl, and FSA.
“9 Clear Nails”
Once we had been executed touring within the EU/U.Ok. we had been fully over our entire discography and the aesthetics we had been utilizing, particularly the motorik beat that we closely leaned on rhythmically. It is fascinating since releasing it as a single — individuals in contrast it to outdated stuff, but it surely’s not likely a kraut-y tune. This tune was an experiment in letting there be extra space throughout the tune, so every instrument creates one other rhythmic component because the tune progresses. We additionally needed to deploy using organs much less as a drone and extra as a further dynamic component. This tune has extra in widespread with post-punk like B-52’s and Feelies than our older stuff.
“Godspin”
Solidifying the fixation on mesmerizing loops, the tune was composed with the instrumental biking sequence on an artificial acoustic guitar patch. Because the monitor progresses, the sonic stage is taken over by a collage of area recordings, captured throughout time on the street, on tour throughout the U.S. and EU. Ultimately, the whirlwind of sound reaches overwhelming cacophony, reflecting the overwhelming onslaught of contemporary life, and giving a glimpse into life on the street. It was necessary to infuse these area recordings from all around the world as a result of the file is so knowledgeable by touring /taking part in stay. We needed to by some means finish the file in a different way than Obligatory Enjoyment by tricking you right into a false sense of peace however descends into one thing extra disorienting and fewer hopeful. This tune additionally options Jen Powers of the good Powers/Rolin on dulcimer.
